Summary:
An alternate follow up to Apex-Primus's Moral Dues/Rejection AU.
Marinette finally confessed to Adrien, only to be rejected. But the worst part isn't just that he didn't return her feelings, but that the reason was on behalf of Lila, who had been doing nothing but lying and making Marinette miserable.
He knew Lila was lying but said nothing. He had told her he would support her and yet he did nothing. All he did was leave her to deal with this on her own and then judge her for it.
Adrien struggles with the aftermath and went to Ladybug for help only to discover he had been the boy she was crushing on all along. But his joy is quickly shattered when she reveals she can't be with him.
Because he's apparently dating Lila Rossi.
Only nobody told him this.| Ladybug liked him.
Ladybug…liked…him.
All this time, the one who had his lady’s heart was none other than himself!
Okay, sure, it was his civilian self, but still! He had been competing against HIMSELF this entire time!
It was—it was practically a dream come true!
But that dream shattered and became a nightmare within minutes when the love of his life announced that Adrien Agreste was already dating someone else—that he was dating LILA of all people, which was the first HE’D heard of it. And HE’S Adrien!
“The love of my life thinks I’m dating her enemy!”
“How tragic.” Plagg intoned dryly.
“Why would she think that?”
Plagg gave him a flat stare. “Why indeed? It’s not like you’ve been defending her or anything.”
His comment seemed to go over the boy’s head as Adrien only moaned in response.
“Just…why would she even think that? Who would even TELL HER THAT?!”
“Well, what have you done to make people think that?” Plagg asked, being surprisingly a bit more helpful than normal—which was still no help at all.
“Nothing! I’m not dating Lila! She’s just a friend!”
“Like Marinette?”
Adrien froze.
“Because I have to say, kid, you haven’t exactly been treating Marinette like a friend.”
Adrien frowned in puzzlement, starting to feel defensive. “I was just being honest.”
Plagg shook his head in clear disagreement. “No, Marinette was being honest. She was honest in confronting Lila and honest in approaching you about her feelings. Tonight might have been the only time she WASN’T honest.”
