The Tracking Device

Chapter 5 - Doubts, Decisions and... Dates

Chapter 5 - Doubts, Decisions and... Dates

Marinette said goodnight to her parents, after persuading them again that there was nothing at all going on between her and Chat Noir, and that the hero must really have thought that Ladybug was in danger. Then she turned off her light and sighed.

"He called me M'lady," she whispered.

Tikki came out from behind one of the presses and floated in front of her nose. "He saw the miracle box. He opened it, Marinette!"

"This is a disaster, Tikki! He knows. He knows my identity! What am I going to do?" Marinette's hands flew to her temples as her eyes became as big as saucers. "I can't bear to lose him. We've been together from the start. He's my best friend, Tikki. He saved my life more times than I can count. We complete each other. He's always there for me, to take me out of my hole if I feel I can't take it any longer. I wouldn't be able to think of anyone else being Chat Noir!" Tears were rolling out her eyes and down her cheeks.

"You don't have to take his miraculous away, Marinette!" The red kwami stroke her cheek gently. "Those were Master Fu's rules. Now you're the guardian. If you decide you want him to know, and you too want to know who he is, it's your rule, your decision."

"But Master Fu had a point. What if Hawkmoth gets ahold of one of us and uses them to get to the other?" She was sobbing quietly into her pillow. "And Chat Blanc... he knew who I was and that knowledge could have caused him to get akumatised!"

Tikki sighed and shook her head slowly. "Marinette, be reasonable. I doubt that the mere knowledge that you're Ladybug caused Chat Noir to get akumatised. You're a good friend to him and he's shown you a side of himself that he still hadn't shown to Ladybug, the day the ice cream man was akumatised. People don't tend to do that unless they think very highly of the other person and trust them completely." She stroked her cheek again. "I'm sure that something else broke his heart, not the fact that he knew your identity."

"He said that our love had done it." Marinette sniffed loudly.

"I wouldn't believe everything that a person who's been akumatised would say," mused Tikki. "I'm not saying that he lied, but his judgement was obviously tarnished. You worry too much."

"What should I do then?" Marinette mused. "He knows who I am. Should I ask him to show me who he is?"

"Do you think that the water is boiling, Marinette? Or just simmering?" asked the kwami.

Marinette sighed. "It's hard to tell, Tikki!" She sighed again. "It's hard to tell."

"Then, don't demand anything." Tikki looked at her wisely. "Just wait and see what happens. But if Chat Noir decides that he wants to show you, maybe accept without fighting him. Your miraculous and his are most powerful when you're both balanced. Right now, with him knowing your identity but you kept in the dark, the balance is compromised. That's even more dangerous than you two knowing each other's identity."

Marinette hugged Tikki softly and lied down in bed, so drained by the events that she fell asleep almost instantly.

oOo

Chat Noir jumped from rooftop to rooftop hastily, until he landed in his room through his open window. He stood and jumped flat on his bed, without dropping his transformation. He knew it wasn't fair on Plagg. The black kwami must be tired and hungry. But the last thing he wanted right now was to listen to his justifiable remarks and listen to him cackle at the memory of the embarrassing situation he had found himself in.

Marinette's parents were... something else. That was for sure. They were lovely... but definitely something else. How was he supposed to look at Marinette in the eye the following day at school? They were talking about sex! His face felt warm at the mere recollection of what they'd said. So embarrassing! He wanted to dig a hole on the ground and hide. He cupped his hands over his eyes and cringed.