The Other You

Mending Bridges

Releasing his transformation, Adrien plopped onto his bed face first. This night couldn't have gone any better and any worse at the same time. How could he be so lucky yet so unfortunate? A pitiful groan escaping his lips, Adrien hid his face in a pillow. "This is a disaster."

"Which part exactly?" Plagg snorted, flying straight to his stash of Camembert. "The 'Ladybug is Marinette' bit or you chickening out on your side of the reveal?"

"Both," Adrien whined. "I'm a coward. Couldn't even tell the girl I love my name. And why? Just because she spent years hating me, and, to be honest, I'm not even sure where I stand with her right now. What if she still hates me?"

"She doesn't hate you."

"But what if she does but just doesn't show it around me?"

"You can always tell her the truth and find out," Plagg snickered, opening a wheel of Camembert.

Adrien shook his head. "Absolutely not. I can't. Not until I'm certain she likes Adrien enough to consider him a potential boyfriend."

"She likes you just fine for that."

"She tolerates me just fine. I need her to love me."

Plagg rolled his eyes, sending a slice of gooey cheese into his mouth. "Remind me then who just admitted to being in love with you?"

Adrien flipped on his back, letting out a heavy sigh. "She loves Chat. Not Adrien."

"You're the same person."

"And that's the issue. Don't you get it?" Adrien sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. "If Marinette finds out that Chat Noir is also Adrien Agreste before she starts liking Adrien more than she does now, there is a huge chance she'll reject me altogether. And I don't want that. I can't lose her now. I love her."

Licking his paws, Plagg shrugged, an empty box of Camembert lying by his feet. "I fail to see the issue. You're an ex-supermodel, present-day superhero, CEO of a fashion empire, with the charm and charisma of Casanova. Don't you know how to seduce a girl? You've got looks, money and charm. Use them."

Adrien glared at the kwami. "I don't want to seduce her. There's a difference between love and lust."

"Yeah. One leads to another. I'm telling you—seduce her. She'll fall in love with you in the process. Just like my beloved Camembert. It first seduces me with its luscious looks and aroma. But it's that first bite, that sweet moment when it starts melting in my mouth that I fall in love with it."

"I'm afraid not everyone is as simple-minded as you, Plagg," Nooroo joined the conversation. "Adrien's right. The key here should be an emotional connection, not physical attraction."

Adrien nodded. "I need to prove my worth to her as a friend and a potential partner. If she can like me enough to see my potential for something more than just a friendship, only then will I have a viable chance in this."

"Yeah, that's cool and all," Plagg grumbled. "But how are you going to make that happen in those ten minutes per day you interact with her as Adrien? It's not like you can just waltz in instead of 'Felix' or Chat to use their time with her. And I don't think she has more time for Adrien you."

Adrien stilled. Use some of the time of his other personas? Chat's slot would be out of the question but it was a different story with 'Felix'. There was only a week and a half left until Marinette's runway at the Fashion Week. The work, though, was mostly done. Realistically, even if 'Felix' were to never come back, Marinette would be able to finish in time by herself. But if 'Felix' were to leave, Adrien would never be so inconsiderate as to leave her without an assistant at the last moment, and even someone as inexperienced as him could be of help. A grin split his lips as Adrien stood up and stretched.