"Come on girl! What's the worst that could happen?" Alya pushed me towards Adrien and Nino's direction as I stumbled to object to her protests.

"B-but Alya! What if I start stuttering again...or if I get all clumsy again!" I didn't realize she was already pushing me towards him seeing that I was too preoccupied with giving her reasons not to.

"Hey Nino! Wanna walk me home today? Marinette says she has to talk to Adrien before his fencing class." Alya looped her arm into Nino's as he shook his head excitedly.

He turned and waved his hand, "See ya dudes!" They walked off giggling at each other.

I looked back to see Adrien smiling at me, "Hey Marinette, what did you want to talk about?" I froze up when he mentioned that.

Ugh Alya always does this! She hypes me up then leaves me in a jumbled mess! I wish I could talk to Tikki...She'd know what to do.

"Um...Marinette...?" I jumped at my name spoken from the lips of an angel and began to panic.

"Y-yes?! What's up? I-I wasn't thinking of anything!" Nice going Marinette...

Adrien laughed as he sat on a nearby bench and started to put on his fencing gear.

Alright Marinette, it's now or never. Just tell him how you feel, maybe he'll feel the same! If not...well then at least I would know to stop pursuing him...

I took a deep breath and looked back up to the emerald eyes I've come to love over the past school year. "Adrien I...I have to tell you something important." I stood straight with my hands bunched up in front of me picking at my light pink nail polish as I spoke.

He looked worried at first but when I stepped forward and conjoined our fingers, his exterior softened. "Marinette, I really value our friendship, so whatever you're about to tell me you shouldn't be worried about. I'll understand."

He's so forgiving and handsome I just-- "Adrien I like you."

Before I even realized it, the words were flowing out of me like a stream from the amazon. I looked back to him to see his soft smile in a full-out grin. "I like you too Marinette." I stood shocked for a moment not knowing what to say, "you're one of the kindest, sweetest, most creative friend I've ever had!" He wrapped his toned arms around my shoulders and held me in a gentle embrace.

In this moment I finally processed what he just said and began to tear up, "N-no A-Adrien...That's not what I meant." I pushed him away from me in a state of panic.

He looked back at me as he stumbled from the push, "W-what do you mean? I thought we were beginning to be good friends?"

He stepped forward and as a last light of hope I whispered, "I think I'm in love with you..." I looked down and grabbed my elbow and cowered back.

"Marinette..." He came up to me and embraced me stroking my hair, "I'm really sorry Mari...B-But I--" He stopped stroking my head and pulled away from me, "I'm in love with someone else." He scratched his head and looked down.

My brain at this point has basically shut down, "Y-you like someone e-else?" I slapped myself across the face as hard as I could then began nervously laughing. "Ahahaha\~ Of course! Uhm I-I..." I looked around for a way out when I met my eyes with Adrien's. "I THINK I HEAR JULEKA CALLING FOR ME!" I turned and ran from Adrien and my broken feelings for him.

"Marinette! Wait, Please I still wanna be--!" I rounded the corner of the school and ran into an alleyway.

Breathing heavily I could hear his voice becoming louder and louder. Seeing no other escape I brought out Tikki, "I can't be confronted like this! Not after that!" I didn't wait for her to answer my panicked stutters, "Tikki, SPOTS ON!"

I swung out of the alley way just as Adrien was about to round the school's corner. I swung for awhile until I landed myself on the ledge of the beautifully lit up Eiffel Tower. I sat there for awhile alone, not crying, but thinking over the day's events.

It's no one's fault but mine. I shouldn't have put Adrien in that position.

"Spots off." I sat on the ledge of the gleaming tower, vulnerable to my emotions and the outside world once again.

After another hour I was about to get up when I heard a thump on the other side of the metal railing. I looked over to see Chat Noir crouched on the railing.

I'll never understand how he can land like that.

I got up and walked to the center of the tower and softly whispered, "Ch-Chat Noir...? What're you doing here?" He suddenly jumped, falling off of the railing. "CHAT NOIR!!" I ran to where he was crouching and looked down to only see the city below.

Where did he...?

"Gosh purrincess\~! You gave me quite the scare there!" I jumped at the sound of his voice from behind me.

"Chat! Y-you're alright!" I ran up to him and gave him a big hug. When I felt him tense up I knew I crossed the line. "U-uhm! I'm sorry...I just thought you had fallen just now and I was worried--"

He cut me off in a blink of the eye, "Oho\~ was my little purrincess feline scared for her little kitty?" His words echoed in my mind.

'My little princess...'

Before I could stop myself I began to cry.

This chapter is from Chat/Adrien's POV

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"Marinette?  H-hey...what's wrong?"  I go to hug her but she steps away hitting the railing behind her.

Oh god Agreste, get her away from the railing!

I stepped forward and tried my best to make her laugh with my stupid puns like usual, but she's not even looking at me. "Hey, uh...Do you wanna maybe, talk about it?"  She looked up wiping her eyes and began to chuckle.

I could feel my ears go down as I tilted my head in confusion, "what?  I thought it would help you..."

She looked at me then said with a small smile, "Oh kitty...I don't want to trouble you more than just asking for a lift down."  She laughed then looked back at the vast night sky that laid out in front of her.

Wait...

I crept up beside her and smoothly asked, "so how'd you get up here in the first place then purrincess?"  She froze at my question.

She looked away from me and began to twirl her fingers through her loose pigtails, "w-well L-ladybug actually brought me up here! Yes it was Ladybug!"  I raised my eyebrow up the tiniest bit and leaned towards here. "She um...She caught me as I was crossing the street and a um..."  She looked around then looked straight into my eyes saying, "A BUS!  SHE SAVED ME FROM BEING MUSHED I-I MEAN SMUSHED BY A BUS!"

Why is she so cute when she stutters?

No Adrien!  You like Ladybug, Ladybug!

"So then why'd she bring you up here, I mean, why not home."  Before she answered I scooped her up in my arms and jumped from the tower landing on a rooftop.

Marinette grabbed onto my neck in shock and began to giggle, "Chat! Why didn't you warn me!"  She nuzzled her head into my shoulder and closed her eyes.

She looked at peace, I'm glad she wasn't sad anymore from earlier.

Just as I thought that, a tear rolled down her cheek as she began to sob.  I held her tighter and looked straight to see the tiny glowing lanterns from her balcony.  "We're almost there Mari...hold on tight!"  I jumped faster and faster until we landed on the roof to her room.

I set her down on her feet softly, "Thank you Chat...I'm sorry for troubling you..."  She wiped her tears and began to walk towards the door to her room.

"Ah wait! I mean...Do you want to talk before I leave, I have nothing else to do."  I was hoping that she's say yes so I'd have a chance to cheer her up.  The last person i'd want akumatized would be Marinette.  She's always been kind and caring to everyone she's met.  She doesn't deserve to be put into that kind of position.

She turned back to look at me then walked back to where I was by the railing, "alright kitty, but only because you brought me back."  She softly smiled and leaned in the railing next to me, "So what did you want to talk about?"  She peered at me from te corner of her eyes.

I looked around for an answer that wasn't so blunt, "well um...can I ask again, why you were crying?  I don't mean to pry, but I just want to make sure you don't--"

"--Bundle up my emotions and get akumatized by Hawk Moth?  I guess that's a good point..."  She looked down and the street below and took a deep breath before speaking.  I came next to her and rubbed her back for support.  "So there's this boy..."

Ah yes the boy.

I looked at her as my ears fell slightly, "what about this boy?"

She began to pick at her finger nails in nervousness, "w-well...I kind of confessed to him today and...and..."  she trailed off and became silent.  She looks up at me and asks softly, "have you ever been rejected by someone you care deeply about to the point that you can't stand it anymore?"

The moment she asked this I looked away and shook my head, "of course...she won't even give me a chance."  In my self pity I felt a small hand on my back going up and down.

"It's expected...I'm sure one day, if you really showed her how much you care she'd give you a chance."  Her hand left my tense back as she backed away. "I thnk this is where I say goodnight Chat"

I turned around to see her turned around walking towards her room door.  Alms\=ost out of impulse I ran to her and embraced her from behind.

I may never know who Ladybug is, I can't be hung up on her forever.  But Marinette...I know her, she knows me.  Maybe if I talk to her in school tomorrow, we can still be something more that just friends?

When my arms loosened around her waist, Marinette turned around while I was still half-holding her.  A slight blush was present on her cheeks, her blue bell eyes shined in the moonlight as her hair slightly danced with the breeze.  "Marinetter I--"

Before I could say another would, she began to lean closer to me and sensually whispered, "yes Chat...?"  Her eyes were drifted close as I made my way closer and closer to her.

We were inches apart and all I kept thinking was, is this wrong?  Should I really be doing this to her now of all times? Just wait for tomorrow in school!

Oh but being with her now under this waxing gibbous moon, her tears finally dry, I just wanted to be with her here in this perfect moment.

When our skin touched eachother's, it was light fireworks were exploding upon our lips.  She didn't pull away or started to cry, no instead she pulled me closer and closer until I realized we were in her room.

Marinette's POV

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I have no idea why I did it.  Yes, I know Adrien is a sweet, caring and supportive by, but Chat Noir an I just have a deeper connection.  For me it's easier to talk to him a things.  So when he leaned in to kiss me, I didn't protest.  I may not know who he is, but he understands me and I understand him.  He likes me for me, not for being Ladybug.

Maybe bringing him into my room was a bit much though.

"Marinette? Are you up there, you never came down for dinner!"  The minute we heard my dad's voice we separated from each other, a blush creeping up on our faces.

I scrambled to get to my room door so that papa didn't open it and see, well...Chat and I laying in my bed making out.  "Uh, y-yes papa I'm here!  Just trying to finish a really~ important history project!  I'll grab some later promise!"  I look over to Chat to see him get up and start heading for my balcony.

"Alright, just don't forget you still have school tomorrow! Goodnight sweetie."

I gave a small sigh of relief then turned away saying, "goodnight dad."

Before he could crawl out of my window I yanked Chat back by his tail.  Stumbling back, Chat fell to the floor scratching his head then looked up at me and gave an embarrassed smile.  "Yes purrincess?"

I made a 'come here' motion with my finger as I softened into a kindhearted smile, "did you think I'd let you leave just like that after all of this?"

He smirked at me as he jumped to his feet, "well, well, well Mari...I really thought this was some kind of bounce back kiss for you from that boy."  My smile faded at his comment.

He thinks I was just using him...?

As Chat wraps his arms around me, I push him away and sit on the edge of my bed, "Chat we need to talk."  He sat down hesitantly tilting his head at me, "I'm not using you as a rebound or anything."  I took his hand in mine and squeezed it over my heart, "I care about you a lot and I kind of want to slow things down with you to prove it...I know you can't reveal your identity to me, which is fine as long as you take this relationship seriously."  I looked into his eyes and saw something similar to determination in them.

"Marinette, we can move as slow as you want, as long as I can be by your side. "  With those words we both laid back on the bed and kept sharing stories back and fourth until the night overtook us.

When I woke up the next morning, as expected Chat was no where to be found.  It'd be stupid of me to think he'd stay, especially with his kwami transformed that long, there'd be no way of him staying that way all night.

"Marinette!  You'll be late for school if you don't hurry up!"  I finished my reminiscing of Chat Noir last night and finished getting ready.

Tikki came down from my bed and yawned while saying, "ready for school Marinette?"

I looked at her as determined as I was yesterday, "Yeah Tikki! I need to go tell Adrien that I'm okay with just being friends with him now!"  I hopped down the stairs and said goodbye to my parents as I headed out the door. Skipping down the streets, I had a broad smile pasted across my face as I walked all the way through the school doors.

"Hey girl~!  What's got you all excited for?  And why didn't you call me back yesterday like I told you!  I was worried something tragic happened!"  Before I was able to explain to her all about Adrien, wel speak of the devil walked through the doors.

When we made eye contact I walked directly towards him and without stuttering spoke, "Hey Adrien, can we talk for a sec?"

"Sure Marinette, what's up?"

I took a deep breath before speaking, "I'm sorry for running away from you yesterday...I should've talked it out with you.  So I'm here to tell you today that I won't be pursuing you anymore.  I'll tell Alya and Nino to stop setting up those awkward lunches so that we can all just be friends!"  I smiled at him as the bell rang, "well I'll see you in class!" I waved goodbye as I walked back to where Alya and Nino were talking.

"How'd it go yesterday you never told us!"  Alya pounced on me the second I made it back to her.  Looking back at Adrien as he stood there in the doorway to the school, I gave him a light smile and a thumbs up.

"I don't like Adrien anymore, we're just good friends."