I'm always here for you

13

Marinette's POV

I hear a crash coming from the mayor's hotel, and I duck behind another building to transform.

"Tikki, spots on!" I cry, and gloomily let the pink light turn me into Ladybug.

As soon as I am in my superhero state, I run towards the hotel.

"Hey, M'Lady," Chat Noir--Adrien--greets me, running alongside me. "Need some help?"

"Of course," I say, trying to add some cheer into my tone. This has been the first akuma since we've revealed ourselves to each other, and it feels very, very strange.

"Where'd Kagami go?" I ask.

"I told her that she should go home to be safe right before I left to transform. Don't worry, she doesn't suspect anything."

We rush through the doors and head up the stairs, following the sound of screaming. We burst through the doors to the level where the party was on previously, and are alarmed to see a huge hole in the window, as if someone--or something--just crashed through the glass.

Chat and I exchange glances, and head right for the window. We jump out of the building, and we use our weapons to safely make it down to the ground.

"Where you think it went?" Chat asks.

I look this way and that, trying to pinpoint where our opponent went off to.

"That way," I say, pointing towards where I heard another scream.

We take off running again, until we finally get a good look at who's been akumatized: the mayor and his wife.

"After you, M'Lady," Chat says, gesturing that I can make an attack first.

I don't react; normally I would roll my eyes and say some sort of sassy remark, but I'm not in the mood today. So instead, I take Chat's offer and step forward.

The two of us battle the victim, until we determine that we need to take a break and regroup.

"Okay, so I think our opponent's name is Love Eater or Heart Snatcher or something," I say, not really sure, since I wasn't there to see them transform. "And they seem to be after people in love."

"We're going to get you, Ladybug and Chat Noir! Hand over your miraculous!"

"After people in love, you say?" Chat asks. "Well, they seem to be after us..."

"Not now, kitty!" I say, swinging my yoyo to pull a couple out of our opponents' way. "Here's what I'm thinking..."

———time skip over the fight cuz I'm lazy——-
—————Chat's POV———-

"Pound it!"

"Bye kitty, I'm about to transform back!" Ladybug says, and starts to run away, but I catch her by the arm.

"We already know each other's identities," I reminds her.

"Oh, right," she says, but her tone is kind of... sad? Embarrassed? I'm not really sure what emotion she's feeling.

"C'mon," I say, and pull her into an alleyway. We detransform, and our Kwamiis come spiralling out of our miraculous.

"What's bothering you, princess?" I ask. "You haven't been acting like yourself."

"I-I, uh, it's nothing."

"You know you can tell me anything," I whisper gently, taking her hand. "I will always be here for you."

She sighs. "When we found out each other's identities, we were both so happy," she starts, but then her voice grows sadder. "But now I'm wondering if we're not meant to be."

"Why not?"

"Because I think you and Kagami are in love."

"What? Why would you think that?"

"I've seen the way she looks at you. It's obvious she likes you. A lot. And today, when we were hanging out with her earlier, you looked happier than you've ever been."

I pull Mari into a hug, holding her tightly, reassuring her that she's mistaken about me and Kagami.

"I was so happy today because I got to hang out with you," I tell her. "It's not often that I can have fun with my lady as Adrien instead of Chat Noir. Besides, Kagami's just a friend."

I hear horrified gasps from beside us, and me and Mari turn to see Plagg and Mari's Kwamii covering their mouths in shock.

"You take that back right now!" The little ladybug says.

"Tikki?" Mari questions. Ah, so that's her name. "What's gotten into you?"

"Thats the same thing Adrien used to say about Marinette, and look at what you two have become!" Plagg explains.

"Well, this time I mean it. Kagami really is just a friend, but Mari's always felt like more than that... and I swear I will never leave you."

"Promise?" Mari asks.

"Cross my heart, hope to die."