Talk to Me, Princess | Marichat - Miraculous Ladybug

Chapter Twenty - Terms and Conditions

I sit on my bed in my shorts and baggy pink hoodie, wondering what time Chat Noir will show up. He messaged me about ten minutes ago saying he'll come by soon, and I've been a nervous wreck since.

I'm scared that now I've established feelings for him, that I'll mess everything up like I did around Adrien.

"Marinette, the best part about you and Chat Noir is how relaxed he makes you. Don't think so much about the change in your relationship, just go with the flow." Tikki's encouragement helps settle my racing pulse as I brush through my hair once again.

I hop off my bed, putting my brush on my desk and pacing around my room.

"He's not my boyfriend. In fact, I'm going to make sure to tell him he's not my boyfriend. Then I won't be so stressed out, right? We can set some rules. Boundaries or whatever, to help make sure we don't rush things." I narrate my thoughts out loud to Tikki as I anxiously rub my arms.

"Exactly, just take it slow. Everything will be fine, don't put so much added pressure onto yourself!" Tikki smiles and I jump as my phone buzzes. Whipping it out of my pocket, I see Alya calling.

"Hey, what's up?" I answer, checking the clock to see it turn 9:13pm. 12 minutes since Chat Noir messaged me.

"You tell me." Her voice is strained, annoyance radiating across the line clearly highlighting my best friend's anger. Directed straight at me.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" I choose my words carefully, glancing towards my balcony awaiting Chat Noir's arrival.

"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact my best friend doesn't tell me shit anymore." She emphasizes best friend, her words dripping with venom. I've never had Alya express such anger towards me before. I hesitate, not sure of what's going on here. Before I get a chance to speak, she lets out a long exasperated sigh.

"I'm frustrated, Marinette. I have to hear from Nino who heard from Adrien that you rejected him. After all these years he finally asks you out, and you reject him! What the hell happened to make you do something so-so... so freaking stupid!"

"I can't explain it, it just wasn't right. I love Adrien, I will always love Adrien but..." I trail off, nervous to tell her about Chat Noir.

She'll be livid if she finds out I kept this a secret. But she'll also think I've lost my mind for passing up Adrien for someone I've spent years rejecting as my superhero counterpart. She'll also argue that I'm choosing someone I don't even know. And I don't have it in me to argue that I do know Chat Noir, better than anyone else.

I can read him like an unlocked tempting diary, just sitting there beckoning me. Chat Noir and I... we work. Somehow, I don't really know when or why, but we work.

We click perfectly.

"But what? You just decided after one date that it's not going to work out? What's wrong with you lately? You've been acting so weird. Everyone's noticed it, you're hardly social anymore. You won't work on your designs, talk about your future or even eat for Christ's sake! You're making your parents and all your friends worry about you." My blood boils under my skin, anger starting to rise in my gut as I stare at myself in the mirror. If looks could kill, I'd have just stabbed two daggers in my own head.

"You have no right to talk to me like that, even if you are angry or concerned or whatever! If I had something I wanted to tell you then I would have told you." I shoot back, glaring at nothing in particular.

"So just the most monumental and momentous moment of your whole high school career so far isn't something you want to tell me about?" Clenching my fist, I feel my nails dig into my palm in a desperate attempt to pull me back down from my rising temper.