My Kitty

13| Breaking Free And Moving On

Adrien let out an ear-piercing scream, feeling as though every fiber of his being was tearing to pieces. He fell onto his side, and hugged himself tight. The pain was too much to bear.

"You can do this. For Paris, for Ladybug, and for your favorite creature in the whole world." Plagg encouraged him further, trying to take his mind off of Shadowmoth's manipulation. He knew if his holder failed, he'd have to cataclysm the ring on his own before things got out of hand, just to save him. However, he was conflicted. Without Ladybug's powers, he could entirely ruin the miraculous. Yes, there were secret potions to fix them, but not many were able to achieve the right mix.

"Shadowmoth... to hell... with your power," he whimpered, clutching his chest. With one last agonizing scream, the spell broke, erupting into a wave of vibration that had him out of breath. The butterfly escaped. Through his window, it disappeared into the night, leaving Adrien sprawled on the floor, light-headed.

His kwami rushed to him, opening his arms as wide as physically possible for his miniature figure, excited to hug him. He was far more proud than he'd thought he'd be. "I knew you had it in you." He rubbed his face against Adrien's cheek, his eyes closed. Words could never describe how relieved the two were.

He gently forced himself up. "All thanks to you, buddy. All thanks to you..."

Marinette inclined over her desk, sketching newer designs. She was so engrossed in her world, and so focused, that she didn't notice a knock on her window until Tikki brought her attention to it. She stood up, and realized the kwamis were making a mess of her bedroom. She groaned. "Guys, get to your box."

Hearing them whine as they slowly flew back to their places, she rolled her eyes and made her way towards the closed curtains. She pulled them apart, only to be taken aback at the sight of Chat Noir.

He gave a slight wave.

She pushed her window open. "What are you doing here?" She glanced around to make sure nobody had seen him, panicked.

"And here I thought you'd be happy to see me." He held a hand to his heart, under the pretense of being hurt.

"No, no, it's not that! I was surprised, that's all." She giggled. Her cheeks grew a light pink.

He leaned in, their faces inches away from one another. "May this stray come in?"

"Uh... Yeah!" She moved to the side in a haste, heating up further. "Of course!" Scratching the back of her head, she averted her gaze as he climbed in.

"Wow. I've been in here before." His eyes travelled all around her room. "Lots of pics of this dude." He chuckled, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the Adrien Agreste photographs. He turned to get a better look at his photos. "Hmm... He's good-looking, I guess. But he could use some cat ears." He flicked both of his kitty ears, and turned to her with a proud smile.

Marinette broke out into laughter at his words, shaking her head. She couldn't believe this boy. After all that he has been through, he still had the ability to make her feel better. "Well..." She tangled her hands behind her back, nervous. "I agree. He's nothing close to Chat Noir." The tips of her fingers reached the bottom of his chin, and she proceeded to scratch him just where he liked it.

Chat purred in delight, his eyes fluttering shut to relish the pleasure of her touch. "Me...ow." He found himself unconsciously gravitating towards her, their noses grazing.

Everything came to a stop.

Marinette froze, and so did he. Slowly coaxing his eyes open, in a daze, he realized she was already staring at him. And the beat of his heart quickened.

After having his feelings for Ladybug crushed, and coming to terms with the fact that she'd never love him back, he told himself he had no right to keep pursuing her. Because that would only be disrespectful to her. He didn't want to feel like he was forcing her to love him. Love can only come on its own, it can never be imposed.

Deep down, Marinette has always come a close second to Ladybug. She's always been at par with her. His love for Ladybug, however, stunted the growth of his feelings towards her. But now that he wanted to take no part in his partner's life, Marinette halfway came on top.

He was clearly conflicted. And he didn't have a clue what his heart desired, who exactly his heart desired. But he knew... he couldn't keep chasing after someone who could care less about his existence. Someone who could never provide the care he was in desperate need of.

He wanted to remain loyal to his lady, he really did. And he promised himself he always will, at times of need. But not like he used to before. Not when she left him in the darkness; all alone and stranded on his own. Especially since such loneliness struck a sensitive part within him. It tore him apart. Because even his one true, and first, ever person whom he loved, couldn't entrust him. Just like everyone else around him.

Her betrayal was the worst.

"Princess..." He breathed, chest heavy with anticipation. He straightened up, and took a few steps towards her. "Can I... kiss you?" His hands hesitantly reached out to each side of her waist, drawing her into him.

The air in her lungs twisted in knots at the back of her throat, and it was nearly impossible to put her voice to use. As her palms slid down his shoulders and to his stomach, she could feel the vibrations of his faint purring through his suit. "Aren't you... in love with Ladybug?"

Chat Noir winced, releasing her from his gentle grip. He silently scolded himself. He should never lead her on like this when he was so unsure. A sigh escaped his lips. "We don't click anymore."

Marinette's heart lurched with devastation. Hearing the guy who was head over heels for her admit that he was giving up on her, had a certain effect that was bound to leave her broken. Now that she was slowly returning his love, he didn't feel the same. "Why?"

"I don't want to talk about her." He scowled, shifting away from her. "Besides why you gotta bring my love up? What about yours? Don't you love someone too?"

"I—I do." She frowned, embarrassed. "But I figured it was about time I let him go."

"I guess you and I don't exactly love each other, huh?"

"What? What do you mean? I told you I loved you before but you were the one who rejected me." Back then, it was a simple lie. Now, it never could be. She loved both Adrien and Chat. But seeing as though Adrien was a chapter of her book that she wanted to end, she was ready to give her all to Chat. "Because you loved Ladybug... You still do, don't you?"

"Of course, I do. I can't just forget about her overnight. But I'm willing to if that means I'll be able to start a cleaner slate. So..." He faced her, eyes vulnerable. He put a hand to where his heart laid beneath his breastbone, "Give me a chance, Marinette. We could move on together."

"I..." Her gaze shifted to the ground. She already broke him as Ladybug. She couldn't bring herself to do the same as Marinette. Especially when he needed her so much. She looked up at him. "Yes, Chat Noir. Let's move on together."