When Paths Cross ⚔️ (A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction)

18. Meant To Be, or Not Meant To Be

Three Days Later

Ever since Marinette found out Cat Noir's secret identity, she hasn't talked to either one, not as Marinette or Ladybug.

Though she didn't mean or try to, she always seems to successfully avoid Adrien at school. Whenever she looks at him, her mind goes blank and she doesn't know what to say.

What could she say, after finding out her partner is one of her closest friends?

Whenever Marinette's in the same room as Adrien, she just feels awkward, so she leaves before a conversation can start. She'll talk to him when she's ready.

She didn't want to break Adrien's heart twice. He can't have Marinette or Ladybug.

She couldn't help but laugh at the irony of their situation, how weird and fate-like it is for them to be each other's partner and each other's best friend. Did this mean Marinette and Adrien are meant to be together?

But... what about Luka?

Marinette's in the locker room putting some notebooks away and as she closes her locker, she screams at Adrien's sudden presence. "Ah, Adrien?! I-I didn't see you there. Uh, well, I gotta go now—"

"Mari, wait," Adrien quickly says as he grabs her arm and pulls her back. "Did I do anything to upset you?"

She stops and turns around. "What? N-No, of course not. What are you talking about?"

"You've been avoiding me all week," He points out. "You've never done that. If I did something to offend you or make you mad—"

"You didn't do anything." Not that you know of.

"Then what's with the silent treatment?"

"I..." She couldn't come up with a great excuse, let alone a decent one. Anything she says now will just hurt Adrien's feelings even more. "I just feel weird... about the whole... love confession."

Adrien's eyes slightly widen. "Oh... well, that's not going to ruin our friendship, right?"

"I don't know, it depends."

"On what?"

"If you're secretly hoping for mine and Luka's downfall," She teases.

Adrien laughs and shakes his head. "No, I swear. You're my best friend, Mari, and I respect you and your relationship. You're in love with Luka, not me, and I have to accept that. I don't want to lose you, though, over some stupid crush."

"I don't want to lose you either, Adrien." Or Cat Noir. "I'm sorry for the way this situation has been handled, and that things didn't go our way, but even if we're not together romantically doesn't mean we don't belong in each other's lives."

He smiles. "Good. Being friends is better than being strangers."

"And now my heart doesn't ache when I hear that word," She whispers.

"What word? Friend?" He asks, clueless.

Marinette rolls her eyes. "You say that word a lot."

"Do not."

"Do too."

They both share a laugh.

Adrien rests a hand on her shoulder. "I'm happy for you and Luka, really. He must be a great guy if he makes you this happy."

"He is, isn't he?"

Marinette's glad things aren't awkward between them anymore, but she still felt things were a little weird now that she knew his secret identity. Should she say anything to him?

One day Ladybug and Cat Noir would share their identities with each other, but it wasn't fair if Marinette got to know first, even if Adrien unknowingly revealed himself first.

Adrien deserves to know.

Marinette looks around the locker room and ducks to the other side to make sure they're alone.

"What are you doing?" He asks.

She faces him again and takes in a deep breath. "I know you're Cat Noir," She spits out.

His eyes widen. "W-What? That's crazy—"

Marinette reaches in her purse and hands him the note from the birthday present he left on her desk. "Is it crazy, though?"

How could I be so careless?! "This doesn't prove anything. It's not signed," He points out.

"You gave me a flash drive with a slideshow of pictures of us to a piano-version of our song, Adrien. And it's what the note said, not the lack of signing."

"What do you mean?"

"You said you were happy we talked, but I didn't talk to Adrien. I talked to Cat Noir. And... you called me Princess. I only know one cat who calls me that," She teases.

Adrien thinks back on it and his eyes widen. "Oh... right... so, totally my fault. I knew I should've listened to Plagg! He said not to write a note at all."

The kwami appears between them and starts laughing. "You played yourself, kid."

"Wait..." He turns back to Marinette. "Is that why you're been avoiding me? Because you discovered my secret identity?"

She nods. "Yeah... I didn't know what to say."

He laughs. "Well, I'll have to be carful from now on, but you're good at keeping secrets, Mari. I just hope Ladybug won't be mad."

"Trust me, she won't," She says as she bites back a grin.

"How are you so sure about that?" He asks.

"Because I'm..." Marinette hesitates and she glances at Plagg, who nods his tiny head. "Because I'm Ladybug."

Adrien's eyes widen as Tikki reveals herself. He looks back and forth between his friend and the kwami.

"Nice to see you again, Adrien," The red bug greets.

"Y-You're Ladybug?!"

She nods. "I didn't feel it was right for me to know your secret identity and you be kept in the dark, but I wasn't sure how you'd react because..."

"Because I can't have either of you?" He finishes.

"Exactly," She whispers, nervously twisting one of her pigtails. "I didn't want to hurt you... again."

"Oh, I'm hurt, Milady," Adrien jokes. "But I'll get over it."

Marinette smiles. "Maybe in another lifetime, Kitty."

They smile at each other.

On the other side of the locker room doors, Luka stands there, quiet. He heard their entire conversation.

So, they finally know, Luka thinks to himself with a sad smile.

Ever since the events of Wishmaker, part of him believed they belonged together, but ever since Luka and Marinette started dating, those thoughts were pushed away, but even now, he still believed that.

Even if Marinette said she loved Luka, it just wasn't meant to be.

They were.

Luka accepts this and quietly leaves.