Miraculous One Shot Compilation

Partial Mask

A/n - The continuation I imagined after reading Okay by NotSoEvilMastermind. I'm aware she wrote her own sequel to it, so mine is somewhat superfluous, but what's the harm in having an alternate ending?

"I'm sorry." Chat elevated his voice after the last line he'd whispered to himself. His reaction was somewhat delayed, and he could only hope she was still within ear-shot. "I'm sorry I fell for your mask, but your mask only covers part of your face."

His remark was met by silence, but he thought he could feel her presence behind him, waiting for him to expound upon his remark. He acknowledged that it may be his imagination. Possibly, he was pouring out his heart to an empty street, but he continued anyway. "You're beautiful, Marinette. I can see that even around your mask, and I'm not talking about your physical attractiveness. I'm still certain - I fell in love with a few small pieces of the real you. Ladybug isn't a perfect girl. I know that, and I accept it. If that's the way I thought, it would have been love at first sight for me.

"I don't know if you know this, but I didn't fall in love at first sight. I admit, it was probably sooner than most adults would advise, but it wasn't until the second time that we fought together that I developed those special feelings.

"The first time we ever worked together, you made an honest mistake! You failed to purify the akuma and you allowed it to multiply. After that was when you admitted your mistake, and you fixed it - that's when I fell in love.

"I'm guilty of falling in love with a figment of your imagination that you projected to the world, but you're guilty of doing the same thing to me. Don't you see how alike we are? It may not be a bad thing. I once heard that a novelist's characters act more like their author than the author thinks they do. Don't you think the same could be true for our alter egos? I want a chance to fall in love with the real you, Marinette, and I'm asking you to take a chance at loving the real me. Would you do that? I believe there's hope."

His last sentence ended in a sob that he didn't know was coming. Though surely, it forced the issue of the raw emotion behind his statement. Finally, he turned to see if he had been speaking to anyone at all. Sure enough, his green eyes met a pair of blue ones, and they were not void of tears either.

His vision blurred, but he could feel a pair of arms encircle him in a hug that lasted only a second. Next the sound of running footsteps reached his ears, growing fainter and fainter. By the time he could see clearly again she was gone, but a smile played along his lips. He understood her gesture, she'd agreed to take that chance.