Ladynoir July 2023

Lucky Charm

 Suuuuper late upload today, oops. Today was rather hectic, and I kinda wasn't feeling it. Until I started writing and then I got into the groove. Anyways, it's still not past midnight here so it totally counts, ha! -Colorado

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Ladybug was about to strangle Tikki. It had been several days since she had suggested Chat Noir should reveal his identity to her. While Ladybug had originally shook off the idea for several reasons, it had plagued her mind ever since. She wasn't even sure where Tikki had gotten the idea from. She had always been adamant that their identities should remain a secret. Up until the miraculouses had been taken right from under her, Tikki told her there was no way she could know his identity. Marinette didn't understand, she should be even more careful now that Monarch was around, but here Tikki was telling her to throw caution to the wind.

It had been several days since she had last seen Chat Noir. She hadn't seen him since their last patrol, but she couldn't hide from him forever. The memory of his ring on the rooftop still haunted her. The way he had been so upset at her constantly lying to him. He wasn't upset at her telling someone her identity, he wasn't upset with her for breaking down, he was only upset at her lies. She really didn't understand how he could have been so kind to her. So she promised him to stop it all, to stop the lies and the deceit, even if it was for his own good. If Chat Blanc came back, Heaven forbid, she would simply tell Tikki "I told you so." Her promise to him involved actually showing up to patrol, which just so happened to be tonight.

No more running.

"I just don't get it Tikki, why would you tell me that I could know his identity?" Marinette was pacing her room, nearly tearing her hair out. "I've been thinking about it all week! How he'd react, how nice it would be to be in his civilian life, even who he is! You know I can't. It's not safe." She wrapped her arms around herself, shooting her kwami a dirty look. To give Tikki some credit, she had a guilty smile on her face.

"I know you feel like that now, but trust me when I say things will be safer this way. I'll leave the decision up to you, but I think it's for the best that you know now," Tikki said, her voice always that same tone of support. Marinette groaned, didn't Tikki know that would only make her more conflicted?

Because little did Tikki know, things had been different with her and Chat Noir recently. A good different that Marinette desperately wanted to keep. She hadn't felt this close to Chat Noir since she became the Guardian, and she couldn't risk screwing that up. Especially because she could feel something shifting behind her. Her reliance on getting over Adrien combined with her growing partnership with Chat was a dangerous combination. He was so sweet to her, so supportive even after she had messed up. Marinette wasn't sure why she didn't see it before. She didn't dare name these feelings; it was too dangerous, especially after her feelings for Adrien made her mess up so catastrophically.

However, little did Marinette know that Chat Noir was actually Adrien. Tikki knew that Marinette mistaking Felix for Adrien wouldn't have happened if Marinette knew who he was. Now that Felix had betrayed them, Tikki couldn't risk that happening again. She wasn't sure how her chosen would react to the reveal, but she knew it would be what was best. It was time.

Marinette's alarm went off, and the girl let out a yelp. It was time for patrol.

"Just think about it," Tikki said one last time before Marinette called for her transformation.

Ladybug took to the skies, breathing in the nighttime air. It felt freeing to finally run across the rooftops after a week long break. She needed it after the stress of Monarch, but she missed being Ladybug. And she missed Chat Noir, but that wasn't important (she was so screwed). She got to their designated rooftop faster than she had been expecting. Tikki's stamina flowed through her, and after a week of being confined to her civilian self, it felt amazing. She had been so quick, in fact, she had managed to beat Chat Noir.