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Clutching the rose tight to her chest, Ladybug swung back to her own balcony and detransformed. Hungry and exhausted, Tikki went back into the house in search of food, but Marinette stayed outside, breathing in the cool night air.
Her face was burning up. She couldn't explain why it was doing that.
Marinette sat down on the ground and leaned back against the rail. Her eyes moved heavenward, and she wished on the glittering stars to quiet her mind.
Failing that, she drew her attention to the rose in her hand and rolled the stem over. “He loves me a little,” she recited in a small voice as she plucked a petal from the rose.
That wasn't true.
If he loved her even a little, he would have shown up.
If he loved her only a little, he wouldn't have done so much.
“He loves me a lot,” she said as she plucked a second petal.
That, apparently, was true.
The shock hadn't worn off yet that beneath all the banter and flirting, there was something genuine. As she plucked and played the childish game, moments that had once seemed so insignificant to her came to the forefront of her mind with added weight. Every touch, every comment... It all seemed so much more significant now.
What happened that made him realize his feelings? How long had he been harboring them? Did they develop over time, or hit him all at once?
When she'd kissed him to break Dark Cupid's spell, did it only work because he loved her?
Would Adrien, could Adrien, ever show her affection like that?
Would they ever bond as deeply as she had bonded with Chat Noir? Was it possible for her to bond with anyone as deeply as she had bonded with Chat Noir?
Failing to control her sudden burst of energy and confusion, Marinette ripped the rest of the petals from the flower with added ferocity as tears rolled down her face.
“A little,
a lot,
madly,
not at all.
A little,
a lot,
madly,
not at all.
A little,
a lot...”
Marinette paused, the nearly bare flower stem in her hand.
One last petal remained, or was it two?
It was technically one petal, but split in half all the way to the root.
“So, which is it?” a familiar voice asked. “Madly, or not at all?”
Marinette's head swiveled to where the voice had come from. Her eyes landed on Chat Noir, who sat perched on the railing over her right shoulder. He gracefully swung his legs over the rail and landed on her balcony, stirring up some of the rose petals that were strewn all around her. The full moon illuminated his face as he crouched low to meet her eyes.
Both, she wanted to say. But what she said was, “I don't know.”
“I do,” Chat replied sadly. The look on his face showed Marinette all that she needed to see. He really did love Ladybug a lot.
“What happened?” she asked innocently, silently setting the stem behind her back.
“She's in love with someone else,” he said plainly, sinking to the floor beside her.
“I'm so sorry, Chat Noir,” Marinette replied, leaning into him just slightly.
Chat smirked. “You sure do apologize a lot for someone who's done nothing wrong.”
Marinette shrugged, not meeting his eyes. They sat in silence for a while, each drowning in the cold water of their thoughts. Chat scooted closer and wrapped an arm around Marinette and she rested her head on his shoulder. They drew warmth from each other spiritually as well as physically, allowing the world to slow.
“So, what's your heartbreak?” Chat asked, breaking the silence.
“Just some boy in my class,” Marinette mumbled, not wanting to get into it.
She felt his body go rigid. “In your class?” He repeated, sounding more interested than she ever thought he would. “Who is it?”
“Why?” Marinette asked, her voice lilting hopelessly. “You probably don't know him.”
“Right,” Chat's voice sounded restrained.
“He's...” Marinette paused, not sure how to put it into words. “I'm beginning to think I've just been fooling myself.”
“You don't seem like the type to pine after someone who doesn't like you back,” Chat observed.
“Maybe I am.”
Chat squeezed her shoulder. “He may not see it now, but one day he'll realize just how special you are.”
“Really?” she whispered, surprise in her voice. She'd only met Chat Noir as herself a small handful of times, and yet he seemed to see something in her that she herself had trouble seeing. Would he ever cease to surprise her?
“Of course,” he whispered back, resting his head on top of hers.
They sat together for a little while longer, until Marinette shivered.
“Looks like the chill is getting to us both,” Chat said reluctantly as he slowly lifted his head and stood up. He offered a hand and pulled Marinette to her feet.
“This was nice,” Marinette said, not letting go of Chat's hand.
Chat nodded his agreement. “We should do this again sometime.”
“You know where to find me.” Marinette surprised herself by saying that, but she didn't take it back. It was good to have the ear and shoulder of a trusted friend in times of need. She looked down at their hands, still clasped. Yeah, a friend.
Finally dropping her hand, Chat lithely jumped up on the railing and swung his legs over the side. He looked back at her and smiled, fondness brimming in his eyes. “You deserve someone who makes you happy. I hope that boy does that for you. Don't give up just yet.”
“Thank you, Chat Noir,” Marinette said sincerely. “You don't give up either.”
“I never will,” he assured her. He waved goodbye and jumped to the next rooftop, and the next, and the next, until Marinette could no longer track him with her eyes.
She opened the hatch and met Tikki in her bedroom, chewing on a cookie.
“What took you so long?” the kwami asked as Marinette flopped onto her bed.
“I was just thinking,” Marinette said with a smile on her face.
“What were you thinking about?”
“We should get ice cream tomorrow. From Andre.”
Tikki blinked, her big eyes curious. “What made you change your mind?”
“I don't know,” Marinette said thoughtfully. “I'm guess I'm finally open to new possibilities.”