deja vu~ miraculous

18 | realization

Chat Noir
"You can't stay here!"
"But M'Lady, I love you too."
"If you love me please, go!"
"But I want to stay here with you!"
"Please just, WAKE UP!"
"M'Lady, I refuse to wake up to a world you're not in."
"It's all a lie."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you only love me?"
"Of course M'Lady. You're my one and only."
"So you won't care if she dies?"
"If who dies?"
"You don't love her right? She's just a friend to you?"
"I- I don't know."
"I thought you only loved me! You seem to change your mind rather quickly."
"I-"
"Why did you come over tonight?"
"M'Lady?"
"I thought she was just a friend. Friends don't do that."
"Do what?"
"She's hurting."
"Why?"
"She's in danger."
"Danger of what?"
"Danger of losing someone she really cares about. Danger of losing herself."
"Why?"
"Because of you."
"Because of me?"
"If you dont wake up, it will be."

"MARINETTE!!!" His breaths were ragged and forced, and his whole body felt frozen yet he was sweating bullets.

He looked around him, examining where he was and trying to remember anything that had happened before that dream. He was in his civilian form, on the rooftop he had taken his lady to when she was unconscious not so long ago. He was wrapped in blankets with a pile of pink pillows propped behind him. He flopped back down into the makeshift bed, covering his head in blankets.

There was a thud, and a gasp, and a little squeak before he heard some fumbling. "Eek you're- you're alive! I mean awake! I-"

He laughed before she could continue, and she giggled as she sat down next to him. "Sorry. I wasn't expecting you to be awake so soon. Are you hungry? Tired? Need more pillows or blankets?"

"It's okay Marinette I promise." He felt her stiffen.

"I'm not Marinette. I'm Ladybug."

He sat up, and took in the girl in front of him- Ladybug was seated criss crossed with little piles of cheese and macaroons around her. She wore the same blindfold he had worn not long ago, and her expression was horrified.

"I- I'm sorry Ladybug you just- you reminded me of her."

"You know her? In your personal life? Wait no! Don't tell me! I can't know, it's too risky."

"I visit her sometimes as Chat Noir," he said. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. She exhaled, relieved. "Is that why you were saying her name in your sleep?"

"Her name?"

"Yeah, you kept screaming her name and thrashing around violently."

"Oh. I don't remember."

"What were you dreaming about?"

"Oh uh- nothing important!"

She was thankful she was blindfolded, for she couldn't see the giant blush that was creeping up his cheeks.

"Oh! Also, I brought cheese for your kwami. I figured he'd need a recharge after... well..." She trailed off, getting lost in the memories from less than a day ago.

"What cheese?"

Ladybug gasped and felt around for the plate that had been stacked with cheese less than 5 minutes ago.

"Oh, was I supposed to wait for the guests?" Plagg asked, wiping the crumbs from the sides of his mouth. "Oops."

They laughed, and for a second Adrien forgot about everything. It was just him and his lady, them against the world.

***

After they feasted on macaroons, Adrien transformed and went back to his house, not knowing what to expect.

"Hello?" He yelled, his voice echoing throughout the house. He walked up the long staircase, making his way to his room. It looked the same as ever: foosball table, basketball hoop, piano, books, CDs, bed.

He collapsed on his bed next to Plagg, who was sound asleep in a cheese coma. He put his hands to his face, trying to gather his thoughts. What was it? The thing that had been occupying almost his entire amount of headspace?

"I love you."

"I love you."

Marinette was in love with him. Ladybug said that she loved him. He never thought that he would have to think about it. All he had ever wanted was for Ladybug to love him for Chat Noir, for his real self. If Marinette really did love him, would she love Chat Noir? How could he love Marinette as Adrien, if he already loved Ladybug as Chat Noir? Unless...

His mind darted back to every encounter he had had with Marinette and Ladybug- the moment on the balcony where he saw Ladybug as Marinette, the moment in the classroom when he saw Marinette as Ladybug- everything was piecing itself together.

What if... they were one and the same.

Marinette in love with Adrien, Adrien in love with Marinette. Chat Noir in love with Ladybug, Ladybug in love with Chat Noir. They were both confused- loving two people at once, but not even knowing it had been each other all along.

He sat up abruptly, the realization hitting him.

Marinette and Ladybug were the same person. They had to be. The reason Marinette was so upset was because Ladybug had been hit by the akumatized villain the day before. She was suffering.

The reason why she couldn't be with him as Ladybug... was because she was already in love as Marinette, with Adrien.

His head was spinning. Everything made sense. The reason why she always left at the same time as him in an akuma attack, the reason why Marinette was always gone when Ladybug was there- except for-

"Plagg!" Adrien yelled, shaking the kwami awake. He groaned at the unpleasant wake up, and yawned. "What can I do for you Master Adrien of Camembert?"

"If anyone's Master of Camembert it's you. I'm just the humble provider."

"Touché."

"Plagg, does Ladybug have the ability to wear all of the Miraculous at once even if she's not using them?" Adrien asked. "Hypothetically, if you were to use the miraculous of the mouse, could you multiply, merge with Ladybug Miraculous for one and the fox for another, then create an illusion with one? Like, be three people at once but not really?"

"Uh-" Plagg said, "sure?"

"Plagg," Adrien said, "I think that day with Kwamibuster Ladybug was Multimouse and she merged with the fox miraculous to create an illusion of Ladybug and Marinette. Or something."

Plaggs eyes widened. "I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for all this Adrien. You should talk to Ladybug about it before jumping to conclusions."

"Plagg, what if the reason why Ladybug can't love me is because it already happened in the past and something terrible happened?"

"Then that would suck wouldn't it," Plagg said, not really paying attention as he ate a piece of fresh cheese. Well, fresh to him. 3 weeks old for Adrien.

"I need to talk to Ladybug. Now! Plagg, claws out!"