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After defeating the latest akuma, Chat Noir and Ladybug are nothing but exhausted as they slip into Marinette’s room after the fight is over. They both detransform and hand out food to Plagg and Tikki.
“That was so frustrating,” Marinette groans as she runs around her room throwing things into a bag, as if she was getting ready for something.
“It was an annoying battle,” Adrien agrees, “but at least it’s over now. Speaking of which, Marinette, are you free?”
Marinette looks up at him. “Why?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to maybe do something together to relax? Maybe like…. go get ice cream, or-“
“I can't, unfortunately,” she says as she stuffs her things in her bag and zips it closed. “I'm going over to Alya's. We have plans.”
"Oh. Have fun with your new partner, then."
He's not insincere in his statement, exactly. He does want Marinette to have fun. Yet there's a sharp pang of bitterness that creeps into his blood because it's not with him.
He's always dreamed of becoming closer to his lady after revealing their identities, and he'd been delighted to find out Ladybug was Marinette. Surely they'd be able to hang out more since they're already friends.
But despite what he'd believed, Marinette seems to be spending more time with Alya instead, in and out of the suits. Almost as if...
He's being replaced.
Marinette frowns at him. ”New partner?”
Adrien shrugs. “You know, since you hang out with Alya a lot more now?”
Marinette’s eyes widen. She puts down her bag and looks up, her face expressionless as she asks, “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”
Adrien isn’t entirely sure what compels him to be so forward; maybe it’s because this has been building up for a long time, or perhaps it’s because he’s finally had enough. but either way, the fear of being replaced overpowers the rest of his thoughts, and suddenly, he snaps.
“It means that if you don't want me as a partner anymore, you can just say it! I don't need you to make me feel like shit, my father's more than enough."
Marinette stares at him for a painfully long moment before choking out, “Please go, Adrien. I have to get ready and I can’t- that hurts, you know. I would never want to desert you and I’m sorry you feel that way.” She looks away and sniffles. “I need you to leave.”
Adrien stares down at his palms, trying to stop them from shaking under his gaze, but it doesn’t seem to work. His chest feels tight; he can’t bear to look up, can’t bear to see what her face looks like right now.
All he can think is that it hurts, being left behind like that over and over again. But he knows Marinette would never intentionally hurt him like his father did. He never should've said that.
He swallows and squeezes his eyes shut.
Because he hurt her.
The moment she asked him to leave, he knew he'd messed up.
He hurt her. His lady.
He’s supposed to be her partner. He's supposed to be better.
Clearly, this is a mistake. His mistake.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispers, desperately trying, hoping to believe that it'll be okay. That it'll be alright. that--
"I need some time," she mumbles. "I-I just--"
He feels numb. "Okay."
How can he call himself her partner when he’s compared her to his father?
He doesn't blame her, though. He doesn’t want to be around himself either.
The lack of her shoulder underneath his palm is so cold it burns. He desperately wants to run after her, to reach out and at least offer an umbrella for the pouring rain.
But she wants nothing to do with him at the moment, and he has to accept that and let the guilt bubble up inside him.
He deserves this, he supposes. It's his fault, his fault, his fault.
The rest of the day goes by like a blur. Adrien’s stuck with this knowledge of having hurt her. He knows it was unfair; in hindsight, he shouldn’t have said it at all. But he’d been so caught up in the moment that he didn’t stop to think about the consequences of his actions, and now here he is.
But at the same time, Plagg tells Adrien that whatever he's feeling is valid. That he's been hurt just like Marinette has been, and although he may have handled it the wrong way, his feelings still matter.
The solution to all of this is to just talk to her.
He’s just getting into bed that night when his phone rings. Adrien checks it. It's a Facetime call from Marinette.
He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and picks up the call.
“Hey, Marinette.” It aches to meet her eyes knowing how he’s hurt her.
“Hi, Adrien. Is now a good time?” She says it so easily, as if what he’d done hadn’t been awful.
“Yeah. listen, I’m sorry about earlier. You’re completely allowed to hang out with whoever you want and I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”
“It's okay.”
He frowns. “But I hurt you.”
“You made a mistake. I forgive you. But there’s clearly something we need to talk about, because I don’t like knowing you’re hurt either.”
He stares at the screen blankly. How can she be so kind? Isn’t this supposed to be the part where she yells?
“Please, Adrien?”
“...Okay.”
As he opens up to her, the knot in his chest begins to unravel. Because Marinette cares to listen. She waits until he’s finished, and together, they figure out how to move forward.
Maybe they were going to be okay.