Archive of Our Own

Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste are the perfect couple.

Their friends knew it, too, as well as the other classmates in school. They were all impressed by the perfect, strong bond they shared with each other.

Nothing could break them apart.

Though ones would try. Not everyone was happy with this supposed picture-perfect couple.

The trio of bullies—nicknamed by their various victims—watched in disgust as Marinette and Adrien walked through the courtyard, clinging close to one another.

"I can't even bear to watch anymore," Loic muttered as he turned his gaze somewhere else. "They're too happy. It's disgusting! Insufferable!"

Ray shrugged. "It's not like we haven't tried to break them up," he said, reminding the others of the last attempt at sabotaging Marinette's dessert to Adrien.

"But our plans never work! The harder we try to separate them, the closer they become."

"If we could break them up, it'd be like destroying love itself," Nelson whispered, gesturing for the two to follow him. "But we need a little help to ensure our success this time."

Ray, Loic, and Nelson sat at a round table, each holding two willing fingers on a cellphone in front of them.

"Come on, come on," Nelson whispered, determined to bring his plan to life. It was perfect.

Five minutes passed in silence.

Loic scrunched his nose, scoffing, "This is so stupid. Nothing's happening."

"Shh, Loic! Focus on your hatred."

And the three of them did. They brought their hatred and anger to the front of their hearts and minds, begging for the new holder of the butterfly miraculous to hear them, to help them.

Just as they wished, an ultrakuma flapped towards them, and they all smiled as the insect merged with the cellphone.

"Long time, no see, you three..."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

'Dear diary... it's finally happened! Adrien and I are officially a couple. Even when I'm holding his hand, I can't believe it's real sometimes. But I think I know why. I still can't truly be myself around Adrien because I lied to him and to the entire world about—'

Marinette flipped the page of her diary and gasped as she realized it was the last. "Already?" she whispered with a frown as she tapped her pen against the back cover. "I need to get a new diary."

"Again?" Tikki asked. "Marinette, you've already bought fifteen alone this month."

She sat up in bed, closing the diary. "Writing is very therapeutic, Tikki. What I can't say out loud I write instead, and there's a lot I can't say—like the fact that Adrien's father was a supervillain."

"Okay, but have you maybe wondered if you're writing too much?" the kwami wondered.

Marinette shook her head. "No."

Tikki glared. "Oh, really?" She zoomed over the loft railing and revealed a hiding spot beneath a loose floorboard. "These ones are from before you became the Guardian."

"Those are—"

The red bug exposed a hidden compartment in the wall. "These are after you became the Guardian." Then above Marinette's bed, a picture frame was pushed up, revealing an even bigger collection of identical diaries. "And these are since you started hiding the truth from Adrien."

"I like to write," Marinette defended with a pout and shrug.

As it waiting for their escape, the diaries all jumped out towards their writer.

"This secret, this burden, has consumed so much of you already. It's not healthy keeping this to yourself. You need to tell Adrien the truth," Tikki said.

Marinette held the letter from Adrien's father, the one containing the biggest secret of all. "If I tell Adrien the truth, it'll break his heart. I can't bear to see him suffer, Tikki."

"And I can't bear to see you suffer," her kwami countered.

"So, my only options are I suffer with the truth and Adrien's happy, or I tell him everything and we're both unhappy," she muttered, her hand tightening around the envelope.

"How do you know for sure that Adrien will be sad?" Tikki asked.

"Everything that I've kept from him, how could learning all of that result in anything but pain and suffering?" Marinette climbed down from the loft and walked over to her desk, sliding the letter into the side pocket on her backpack. "I need to know for sure if Adrien is ready to hear the truth."

Tikki flew over and sat on Marinette's hand. "And then?"

"And then once I've determined Adrien is ready, I'll give him the letter from his father, preferably from Ladybug since technically she was there during the final battle, not Marinette. I'll tell Adrien everything, including the horrible truth about Gabriel Agreste being Monarch." Marinette hugged her backpack to her chest. "And if Adrien's not ready, I won't give the letter to him."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Marinette and Adrien sat side by side in the Agreste kitchen and shared a bag of chouquettes, a tradition they've followed for almost a month now. Though Marinette could barely touch her food, as guilt took away her appetite.

Adrien looked over. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. This morning Sublime and I ran five miles in twenty-one minutes," he told his girlfriend proudly as he walked around the counter to grab his schoolbag. "Tomorrow I'm hoping to stretch the distance and shorten the time."

"Congrats, Adrien, that's awesome," Marinette praised as she slid off the stool and grabbed her backpack. Come on, Marinette. Ask your question before you chicken out!

He noticed a letter peeking out from the side pocket, his name signed on the front in pretty cursive writing. He smiled. Marinette wrote me a love letter? "Is that letter for me?"

"No!" she answered fast, then backtracked. "Uh, I mean, yes, of course! Your name is on it, after all." She quickly walked out of the kitchen without saying another word, shoving the letter into the main compartment of her bag.

Fear and panic spread fast throughout her body and she couldn't stop the guilt blooming in her conscious.

Adrien trailed after his girlfriend, a playful smile on his face as he leaned in and asked, "Aren't you going to give it to me?"

Marinette glanced at her bag. "No."

"Hmm?"

She looked over, offering a nervous smile. "Not yet. It's not the right time because I... because I need to know..."

Adrien held the front door open, and they walked outside towards Marinette's parked scooter. "You need to know what?" he asked.

"I need to know how you would react to something," Marinette started as she picked her next words carefully. "Say I continued to bring you chouquettes every morning, like I usually do, thinking that you love them, and then I found out that you prefer croissants, and you kept that secret from me."

"But I love chouquettes," he reminded her as he pulled his custom-made helmet (an original Marinette Dupain-Cheng design) over his head. "And I'm not keeping any secrets from you."

"Yes, I-I know that..." she mumbled as she put on her own helmet. "But how would you react if you were me and I were you and you found out that I, I mean you, didn't actually like them anymore?"

Adrien tilted his head, piecing together the pieces of his girlfriend's jumbled word puzzle. "Are you saying that you don't like chouquettes anymore?"

Marinette shook her head fast. "No, I still love chouquettes! But... argh! That's what I'm trying to say. I don't have the right words yet." She climbed on her scooter, dipping her head low. "I'll give you the letter later," she promised.

He took his usual spot behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Okay, but whatever you need to tell me, as long as it comes from you, I'll be happy."

Marinette smiled. "Of course..."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Alya and Nino walked through the cafeteria and grabbed a quick breakfast, and as they exited the line, she turned back and asked her boyfriend, "Our usual spot?"

Nino nodded.

Across the cafeteria, someone closely spied on the couple, aiming a phone in their direction. After zooming in, they snapped a picture and left before they were caught.

At the same time, another pair of eyes were on Marinette and Adrien, watching as they walked into school together. Their picture was taken, too, unnoticed.

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Adrien took a seat beside Sublime in their Ancient Green class, then asked, "Tomorrow morning, do you want to try and beat our time? Ten miles in fifteen minutes?"

Sublime gave a proud nod. "You'll try, but I intend to succeed," she joked.

Their classmate Prem walked up to their table, surprising both Sublime and Adrien.

"Are you taking Ancient Greek now, Prem?"

"Yes, Princess Sublime," he answered with a sweet smile. "I want to be able to watch Gladiator movies in their original language."

Adrien and Sublime shared a laugh.

"You always keep surprising me, Prem," Sublime told her friend.

The teacher clapped his hands twice. "Alright, class! Please turn on your tablets and open your online textbook to chapter twelve: Socrates on Love."

"Psst." Prem leaned forward and tapped Adrien on the shoulder. "Is that Marinette and Nino?" he asked as he pointed out the window.

Adrien turned and looked outside, and sure enough, Marinette and Nino were standing together in the courtyard. Really close together, he noticed.

Marinette took Nino's hand and they both laughed and ran off together.

An unsettling feeling overtook Adrien fast.

"You okay, Adrien?" Sublime asked.

He turned his attention to his classmate. "Yes, sorry. I thought I saw..." Why were Marinette and Nino standing so close to each other? He shook his head. "It was probably nothing."

Up on the roof, Prem was sitting by a bird's nest in the vegetable garden, keeping watch of three eggs almost ready to hatch. He had his phone in his hand, recording this miracle.

Marinette picked a tomato off a vine and gently placed it in a basket. She glanced down at her kwami hiding in her purse. "Obviously, my whole scenario about chouquettes and croissants clearly went over Adrien's head."

"Or maybe it was you who wasn't clear enough," Tikki joked, and Marinette rolled her eyes. "Don't make it complicated. Just ask Adrien what you really want to."

Marinette stood with a determined look on her face. "You're right, Tikki."

"Oh, I've never been more excited for anything in my life," Prem whispered as he recorded the eggs' every single movement. They twitched, ready to hatch. "Ah! It's time!"

"Adrien's Ancient Greek class should be over soon," the pig-tailed girl said to herself as she walked towards the elevator. A sudden wave on anxiety washed over her and her stomach tightened in knots.

He raised his phone and aimed it at her. "Princess Marinette, come look! They're about to hatch!"

Marinette walked by without a word, a frown stuck on her face.

Prem looked at the eggs, then back at where Marinette was standing, and hummed in confusion as he found himself alone. He looked around, but there was no sign of Marinette. Shrugging, he went back to the eggs and smiled as three baby birds poked through the eggshells.

"You three are the cutest baby birdies I've ever seen..."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

"So, I'll see you tomorrow at six a.m.?" Adrien asked as he and Sublime walked out of class.

"Sure, but I'll already be awake by five," she answered.

They laughed, then parted with a quick wave.

Prem followed closely behind Adrien. "I didn't know you and Princess Marinette were no longer together. That's so tragic."

"What? No, we're still together, Prem," Adrien assured him.

"Oh, but earlier in the courtyard, Marinette and Nino—"

"I'm sure there's a reason for that. One that can easily be explained."

Prem sighed, then stopped to hug Adrien. He pulled back and cradled the blonde's face. "Good luck. You're going to need it, my prince."

Adrien's eyes widened slightly, then he smiled.

Marinette stepped out of the elevator, in search of her boyfriend, and when she saw him descending the staircase, she smiled.

Aglae appeared out of nowhere and blocked her path. "How could you, Marinette? What you did was awful..." The soft-spoken girl walked off without another word or even a hint of context.

"What did I do?" Marinette asked herself. She shook her head, ignoring her classmate's weird comment, and jogged over to her boyfriend. "Adrien!"

He looked up. "Hello, Marinette."

She scratched the back of her neck, nervous now. "I think I finally found the right words."

Adrien raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? That's good, so now you can tell me what you wanted to, right?"

Marinette nodded. "Yes... I wanted to know how you would react if you found out that someone you love kept a secret from you, that they were holding it from you for your own good..."

"Why?" he softly asked. "Do you have something to confess, Marinette?"

Her mouth fell open, then she averted her gaze. "If I did, would you want me to tell you?"

"Of course I would."

"Even if it's a terrible secret? Even if it has nothing to do with croissants or chouquettes?"

Adrien gasped with wide eyes. Is this about Nino? "Tell me, does it have something to do with you being in the courtyard during my Ancient Greek class?"

"Huh?" Marinette was taken aback. "I wasn't there, I was just up in the vegetable garden."

He couldn't understand why, but he didn't believe her.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Nino called out, and both Marinette and Adrien turned in his direction. He walked over with Alya, his arm draped over her shoulder. "How's it hanging?"

Adrien glanced back and forth between his girlfriend and his best friend, then shook his head with a chuckle. "Okay, I get it. Joke's over."

"Uh, get what, bud?" Nino asked.

"You two are trying to prank me, right?"

Marinette and Nino shared a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "I'll admit, you almost got me... though I didn't find the joke funny at all. Next time why don't you guys try something less stressful."

Marinette and Nino stayed quiet, even more confused than before.

"Alright, I have fencing class with Kagami now." Adrien pecked Marinette on the cheek. "See you later!" he told his friends before walking off.

Above on the roof, copies of Prem, Marinette, and Nino stood together, watching the four friends closely, dissatisfied.

Prem crossed his arms. "Their love is strong, but not unbreakable. We just need to advance to the next step. We're almost there."

"Hey!" Nino jumped up fast and transformed back into Loic. "No way! It's not happening!"

"Agreed!" Marinette nodded in agreement. "We said no kissing!" Ray took the girl's place.

"Okay..." Prem whispered, and his appearance changed back into Nelson. "But that means we won't get what we want... we won't break up Marinette and Adrien."

Ray and Loic shared a defeated look.

"Fine!" the tall blonde agreed as he pulled out the cellphone. "But Loic's playing Marinette this time! And we'll only pretend kiss like they do in the movies." He scrolled through different icons of other classmates they had secretly photographed all morning and after changing his appearance to Nino, he tossed the phone to Loic. "Here."

"Alright," Loic muttered, angry as he took on Marinette's persona. "This better work this time..."

"Believe me, it'll be worth it," Nelson assured them both as he became Alya. "This plan cannot fail."

Alya handed her bag to her boyfriend. "Can you hold this real quick? I have to use the bathroom."

"Of course, babe." Nino tugged the straps over his shoulder, then turned to Marinette. "Dude, do you know what Adrien was going on about?"

Marinette shook her head. "No, I have no idea. I'm as confused as you. Why does he think we're pulling a prank on him?"

"If I was going to prank my best bud, I'd put temporary hair dye in his shampoo or get him one of those trick candles for his birthday," the DJ said, then laughed. "The spark always comes back."

"Adrien said he saw us in the courtyard outside his Ancient Greek class."

Nino's eyes widened. "What? No, I wasn't! I was with Alya."

"Same here! Uh, not with Alya, but I was somewhere else, too," Marinette clarified. "I was in the vegetable garden with Prem, but I don't think Adrien believed me."

"Do you think Adrien's trying to pull a fast one on us?"

"Why? It's not even April Fools."

Nino shrugged. "Maybe Adrien just saw two people who look like us."

Marinette scratched her arm. "I guess, perhaps."

As Nino and Marinette continued talking, trying to decipher Adrien's weird behavior, Aglae happened to be passing across from them on the sidewalk. She gasped, then quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the pair.

Adrien's phone buzzed from his pocket, and he fished it out to see a picture from Aglae. Marinette and Nino were standing together, in the middle of a conversation, staring into each other's eyes. His heart sank. They were both supposed to be in class now, so why were they together?

This means nothing, he tried to assure himself. If it's not nothing, then it's just a bad joke. I'm sure there's a good reason why Marinette and Nino are alone together... again.

Adrien tucked his phone in his bag and walked into the gym.

Kagami immediately noticed a difference in Adrien's usual confident posture. She playfully poked her saber into his side as he tried to rush past. "Is everything okay, Adrien?"

He nodded fast. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine." He fidgeted with the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "I think I ate something bad at breakfast."

After changing into his fencing uniform, Adrien returned to the gym and stood in front of Kagami on the mat. She watched him closely. She didn't buy his excuse.

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

From beside Alya in their pottery class, Marinette leaned over and asked, "Hey, do you know what Adrien was talking about earlier? Something about a prank?"

Alya shook her head. "Nope. I just figured it had something to do with your conversation before Nino and I showed up. What were you guys talking about?"

Marinette's body went numb. "Uh..." She focused on the muddy case in front of her. "About... chouquettes and croissants."

The reporter scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I wanted to know which one Adrien likes best," she defended.

Alya looked over. "Marinette, just be honest with me. If you don't feel comfortable answering my question, just say that. You don't need to make up some ridiculous story."

Marinette frowned. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Look, Adrien's your boyfriend, so of course you're going to have conversations that are private. I get that. There are some things I tell Nino that I don't tell you, and I'm sure it's the same for you and Adrien."

"R-Right," the pig-tailed girl whispered as she forced a smile. "Because we're in love and we tell each other everything."

As Alya turned back to her own pottery wheel, Marinette's fake smile sunk into a deep frown.

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

As Anarka orchestrated music practice, a sharp knock interrupted them, and Alya opened the door fast, offering a half-smile. "Sorry to disturb you all, but Principal Damocles sent me to get Nino."

Nino stood from his chair and followed his girlfriend into the hall. "Uh, am I in trouble or something?"

"No, that was just a ruse," Alya said as she grabbed his hand, leading him over to a bench by the window. "I wanted to see you. I have a surprise for my super, awesome boyfriend."

"What is it?"

"You'll have to wait and see," Alya whispered, holding his chin in her hand. "Stay right here and close your eyes. Okay?" She tapped his nose. "I'll be right back, honey."

"Okay," Nino said, sighing into a smile as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the bench. A sudden chill came over him. Hopefully it's not like last time, when Alya surprised me with her sister's spider. Eek!

Alya's appearance suddenly changed to that of the principal's, and he headed towards the school gym.

"Keep your guard up, Adrien!" his fencing instructor reminded as he and Kagami fenced. "Your opponent can read you just as well you can them."

"Mr. D'Argencourt!" Principal Damocles called out from across the gym. "May I speak with Adrien?"

Adrien lifted his helmet and walked off the mat, following the principal out in the hall. "You wanted to speak with me, sir?" he asked, and his gaze leapt past Mr. Damocles, and he let out a tiny, confused gasp. "Marinette? Nino?"

Marinette and Nino stood close together by the window. Too close for Adrien's liking. Nino cradled her chin gently, and Marinette brushed her hand against his cheek.

Then it happened so fast. Marinette and Nino kissed.

Adrien's eyes widened. What the hell?! His heart sunk deep in his chest. "Marinette!"

The pair pulled away from each other, eyes wide in shock, and as Adrien sprinted towards them, Marinette and Nino locked hands and took off running.

"Wait!" he screamed as he followed them. "Hold on! Tell me what's going on!"

Adrien didn't want to believe what he just saw, his girlfriend and best friend kissing, but it happened right in front of his eyes. Is that why Marinette and Nino were acting weird earlier?

Ray and Loic changed their appearance before Adrien caught up to them.

Adrien ran down the hall, out of breath, and stopped when he saw Ivan and Kim together. "Hey, have you seen Marinette and Nino?"

They shook their heads no.

Adrien continued on his search and rushed outside, looking everywhere for them. His heart raced fast and he tried to regulate his breathing before it triggered a panic attack.

"Hey, buddy!" Nino greeted him with a smile on his face. How could he be smiling at a time like this? "Have you seen Alya?"

"Buddy? Are you serious right now, Nino? I just saw you and Marinette kissing, and you want to pretend like nothing happened!"

The DJ gasped. "Huh? What... what are you talking about? Me and Marinette, kissing?" A nervous laugh slipped out. "If this is your idea of a prank, it's not a good or funny one."

"Don't you dare lie to me! Like you were never interested in Marinette!" Adrien yelled, pointing an accusing finger forward.

"Dude, that was so long ago! You know I don't like Marinette like that anymore," Nino defended.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah right. It sure didn't seem that way when you were kissing her!" He lunged forward and dug his palms deep into Nino's shoulder and shoved him back. 

Nino fell on his side and the impact knocked his cap and headphones off his head. He sat up slowly with a groan, watching his friend carefully. "Dude..."

This wasn't like Adrien at all, and his idea of a joke was of the same level as Gabriel Agreste's pancakes: horrible and distasteful.

"What kind of friend are you?!"

"Woah, woah, hey!" Marinette and Alya ran over to their boyfriends.

"Hey, what's going on?" the pig-tailed girl asked Adrien.

"Yeah!" Alya knelt beside Nino, helping him back to his feet. She cast a glare to the blonde. "Why did you shove Nino like that?!"

Adrien scoffed. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because Marinette and Nino have fallen in love with each other!"

"WHAT?!" Marinette, Alya, and Nino shrieked.

The DJ shook his head fast. "No way, dude!"

Adrien kept his gaze on Alya. "I caught them kissing outside the gym."

Alya gasped. "What?" She turned to her best friend. "Marinette?"

"Nino and I kissing!?" Marinette asked, throwing her arms up in the air. "That's ridiculous!"

"Absolutely!" Nino agreed.

Adrien faced his girlfriend. "That's what you wrote in that letter... the words you can't bring yourself to say... isn't it?"

Marinette didn't know what to say. "I—"

"You no longer being in love with me is one thing, you can't control that... but you lying to me... it's just heartless!"

Alya faced her boyfriend, hot tears threatening to spill out. "Is Adrien telling the truth? Did you kiss Marinette? Are you in love with her now?"

"Of course not!" Nino swore.

Adrien closed his eyes tight as he tried not to cry. "How could you both do this to me? I thought we were all friends!"

"So did I..." Alya mumbled.

"Stop it!" the DJ yelled. "Of course we're friends."

Marinette folded her hands together. "Adrien, I have no idea what's going on, but you have to believe us! You're the one I love!"

"Please stop lying to me, Marinette," Adrien begged. "You're only breaking my heart more. Just say what you've been trying to tell me all morning!"

Marinette frowned. "But..." This definitely isn't the right time.

"Of course!" Alya scoffed. "So, that's what your whole chouquettes and croissants thing was about, huh?"

The pig-tailed girl shook her head. "What? What do you mean?"

"Adrien is the chouquette and Nino is the croissant. You used to love chouquettes, but now you prefer croissants. It totally makes sense now!"

Nino reached for his girlfriend's hand. "Alya—"

The reporter smacked his hand away and poked a finger into his chest. "And you, Croissant Kid! I thought we were honest about everything!" Tears glistened in her eyes. "We promised we'd never lie to each other!"

"But... my little raisin bun... I'm not lying!" the DJ promised. "You know I would never lie to you."

"You don't get to call me that anymore," Alya muttered. She turned away from them. "Don't ever talk to me again! Either of you!" With that, she took off running.

"Alya!" Marinette's heart raced fast, too fast. There was so much happening all at once she couldn't wrap her mind around any of it. "I-I don't get it! What's going on?"

"Since you can't bring yourself to say the truth, I'll do it for you, Marinette," Adrien suddenly said, and she turned her attention back to him. His eyes widened, angry, and he shouted, "You and I are over!"

Marinette gasped. "Adrien?"

Nino stepped towards his best friend. "Dude, wait!"

Adrien ignored them both as he ran back inside, closing the door behind him, hoping they'd catch the hint he didn't want them to follow.

"I don't..." Marinette spun and searched for Alya, finding her halfway across the school. She made a quick decision and chased after her best friend first. "Alya, wait!"

She caught up to her fast, and as she grabbed her arm, Alya pulled herself free. "I don't want to talk to you!"

"Alya, you don't really believe this, do you?"

"Why would Adrien lie?!" the reporter snapped as she stopped abruptly and spun around fast. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Marinette! All I know is that whatever you're hiding, whatever secret you're protecting, it's hurt two people you care about."

"That's..." Marinette trailed off as guilt gnawed at her heart. "Please, you have to believe me. Nothing happened between us."

Alya took a deep breath. "If you don't love Adrien anymore, that's your business, but you messed with my boyfriend and that's not okay. You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"But I am—Alya!"

The reporter ignored her and walked off.

"Alya!"

Nino jogged over to Marinette, kneeling forward to catch his breath. He straightened his back suddenly and said, "Okay, what is going on today? First Adrien thinks we're trying to prank him and now he thinks we kissed?! Did we wake up in crazy town or something?"

"I-I don't... I don't know..." Marinette whispered, shaking her head slowly. "I have to go find Adrien. Maybe I can reason with him."

Nino nodded. "I'll try to do the same with Alya, if I can find her. I love her too much to let her go that easy." He rested his hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Don't worry, girl. I'll make sure you don't lose Adrien, either."

Marinette and Nino ran off in opposite directions.

From the second floor, Kim and Ivan laughed and shared a high five. "Yeah, two couples for the price of one!" they cheered.

"Stay focused, you two!" Principal Damocles warned. "We're not out of the woods yet. In order to completely destroy love, you have to break both halves of the same heart." With a quick tap on the phone, he changed into Sublime, then turned to Loic disguised as Ivan. "You'll be Adrien for our grand finale while Ray films the whole thing. Got it?"

Before either could answer, Nelson changed their looks, and Loic became Adrien while Ray turned into Alya.

"In just a few minutes, we'll have our sweet victory!"

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

"Adrien!" Marinette slammed the doors open to the auditorium and ran inside. "Adrien?"

Around the corner she heard tiny sniffles, and found Adrien curled up on the floor, sobbing into his knees.

She approached him slowly, hoping he wouldn't take off running again. "Adrien, I don't know what's going on, but I promise you, you're the only one I'm in love with. Can't you see that?"

As she touched his shoulder, Adrien brushed her off and turned away.

Marinette stepped back with a gasp. "Why don't you believe me?"

The door across the room opened fast and Sublime rushed inside. "Adrien!" She knelt beside the boy. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" the pig-tailed girl shrieked. "I don't understand what—"

Adrien jumped to his feet and threw his arms around Sublime, hiding his face into her shoulder. Marinette felt an ache rip through her heart.

Sublime rubbed his shoulder gently. "Oh, Adrien..." she cooed, then glared at the girl. "What did you do to him, Marinette?!"

Marinette threw her arms up, confused. "Nothing! That's why none of this makes any sense. Adrien, please, you have to believe me."

Adrien ignored her as he straightened his posture, keeping his eyes on Sublime. They began walking out of the room.

Marinette shook her head fast. "It can't end like this!" She chased after them. "It can't end at all! I love him!"

"I don't want to see you anymore," Adrien finally spoke to her, peeking back to look her in the eye. "You've completely broken my heart."

"Adrien, I love you! Please..."

Sublime turned back, slowly wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulder. "You don't know how to love him... so I will." She guided Adrien out in the hall and closed the door behind her.

Marinette dropped fast to her knees. Her entire body felt numb, her heart aching deep with despair. "This is a nightmare..."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Adrien changed out of his fencing uniform and took a walk outside, hoping the fresh air and warm sun would be enough to clear his mind. As he turned a corner, he heard quiet cries and glanced to the side to see Alya alone on a bench.

He frowned. I wasn't the only one affected by this nightmare, too. He sat down beside her.

Alya looked up. "Adrien?" He was the last person she expected to see.

"How are you?"

"How do you think I am?" she muttered.

He blinked. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid question."

"No." Alya rubbed her knuckles under her eyes. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"It's okay."

"Marinette and Nino... they wouldn't do that to us, would they?"

Adrien's face fell in a frown. "If you saw what I did, Al... they didn't even try to hide it. They kissed out in the open for everyone to see!"

Alya sighed. "Nino did have feelings for Marinette at one point," she reminded him. "Hell, even you were trying to set them up together."

That day at the zoo flashed in his mind and Adrien balled his hands into tight fists. "Yeah, I remember... but I didn't think they would fall in love!"

As Adrien sobbed into his hands, she pulled him in a tight hug. His arms moved around Alya's neck, and she cried deep into his shoulder.

Nino watched them from afar, a sad smile on his face. Clearly they both needed this: to vent, to cry, to breathe. He just didn't know how to clear up this horrible misunderstanding and get Adrien and Alya to see the truth.

Adrien and Alya sat embraced for a couple more minutes, holding and crying with each other. It was the first time all day their hearts had been calmed.

"Thank you for that, I really needed it," the blonde said as he pulled back first and stood from the bench. "I'm going to head home now and sleep... for a few days."

The reporter laughed. "Yeah, that sounds nice. I might do the same."

Adrien waved and walked off, and as Alya headed in the other direction, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Alya!" Nino called out.

She turned towards his voice, glaring, and ignored him.

Nino ran faster. "Alya, wait!"

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Adrien's head hung low as his heavy limbs carried him through the vegetable garden, pain and loss heavy on his fragile heart.

He never could've imagined a life without Marinette and Nino, and now he'd have to live with one.

How could this happen?

Plagg peeked out from his holder's jacket. "Adrien—"

"I don't want to talk right now, Plagg," he whispered, keeping his eyes locked on his shoes. "Please, it hurts too much right now."

"Prince Adrien?" Prem called out, and the blonde glanced over in his direction. "Are you okay? You look a little... lost."

"You were right, Prem," Adrien whispered, eyes heavy with fresh tears. "Marinette and I are no longer together."

Prem gasped. "What? What are you talking about?"

"This morning in Ancient Greek class, what you pointed out to me—"

"I don't take Ancient Greek."

Eyebrows rose high on Adrien's face. "But you—but you were sitting right next to me!" he said, gesturing to the empty space beside him.

"I promise, Prince Adrien, I've been here all morning waiting for these birds to fly."

"Are you trying to prank me, too?"

Prem shook his head. "Of course not!" He walked over to Adrien, lifting the phone in his hand. "Ask Marinette. She was in the vegetable garden with me." He opened his photo gallery to various videos and tapped on one, and as it played, the camera panned to Marinette, who was in fact where she said she was.

"Wait a minute!" Adrien huffed. "If you and Marinette were both here, then who was in the courtyard with Nino?!"

Prem shrugged. "I don't know, considering I've been here all day."

The blonde shook his head fast. "Something's not right. I need to find Marinette!"

Adrien sprinted back towards the main building, and as he approached the double-glass doors, he stopped abruptly and looked on as Sublime and—himself?—walked out of the auditorium.

His eyes widened. "What the—"

Off to the side, Alya had her phone raised, recording everything.

Adrien's eyebrows furrowed together. Wait, that doesn't make sense! I was just with Alya, and she's halfway across the school! He ducked to the side and peeked inside and watched the three people carefully.

"Cut!"

As three gathered together, a glitch of light flashed over them as their appearances changed. Now they looked like, Adrien noted, a group of lame faux superheroes in matching red-and-blue costumes with broken-heart symbols across their chest.

"Supervillains?" Adrien wondered out loud.

"Well done, my Heartbreakers!" Chrysalis praised her villains. "You have done the impossible."

"You did it!" Ray corrected. "Without your help, we'd still be stuck in the mud!"

Loic nodded. "Yes, but we deserve some credit, too! We rock!"

Nelson nodded proudly. "We destroyed love."

"Glad I could be of assistance."

Adrien opened his jacket and his kwami flew out. "Plagg, claws—"

An ultrakuma flew above his head.

"Huh?" Adrien looked back inside and saw the supervillains were no longer akumatized. It was Ray, Loic, and Nelson—they were the cause of this chaos!

"What the smell?!" Plagg mumbled.

"Is it over?" Ray asked.

Loic grabbed his head with a groan. "I don't... I don't remember anything. Did it work?"

"Let's find out." Nelson grabbed the phone and the three of them huddled together. He opened the photo gallery and found the recent video. Marinette ran towards the door, begging for Adrien to stop and listen.

A proud smile broke out on Ray's face. "We did it."

"We broke them up!" Loic cheered.

Nelson smirked. "It's the end of Marinette and Adrien!"

Chrysalis stood alone in the library, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned back against a bookshelf. "Now... it's time to move on to the most interesting part of my plan... the only reason I agreed to help those three morons..."

"No more love!" the trio of bullies celebrated.

Adrien turned away from the door, eyes wide. "It was a trap!"

The doors opened and Adrien crept back out of sight as Ray, Loic, and Nelson walked out of the building, sharing a cruel laugh.

An ultrakuma flew past them, following the scent of a broken heart.

Loic chuckled. "I know a girl who's about to get akumatized..."

Adrien gasped. "Marinette! Plagg, claws out!"

Marinette knelt on the carpet, shoulders shaking hard as she cried. "Why... why... I just don't understand..."

Tikki peeked out from the purse. "Marinette, I'm so sorry!" The kwami suddenly gasped. "An ultrakuma!"

Marinette ignored her warning. "This is a nightmare that I can't wake up from..." She covered her face with her hands and sobbed into her palms.

"Cataclysm!"

Tikki flew out of sight as the doors slammed open and Cat Noir rushed inside towards his girlfriend. He held his hand out towards the insect as he followed it. He couldn't let Marinette get akumatized. He couldn't!

Marinette's sobs cut out. Cat Noir...? She was about to look up and see when a sudden chill passed over her body.

The butterfly merged with her purse. Cat Noir was too late.

An ominous presence appeared beside Marinette. "Forgive my intrusion..."

The voice speaking to Marinette now, the one trying to sooth and ease her pain, it was her own.

"But I heard your cry of despair as your boyfriend broke your heart," the presence continued, and hearing her own voice had strangely calmed Marinette down. "I couldn't resist to reach out and offer my support."

"Adrien... my Adrien... I've lost my Adrien!" Marinette cried out.

Tikki flew towards the door, hiding, and watched the terrible scene unfold. Her eyes were wide in fear. You can resist, Marinette! I believe in you!

Cat Noir stared down at his girlfriend. Panic rose in him. He had never seen her like this, he never wanted to see her like this, crying and in so much pain.

He closed his eyes tight. Maybe he couldn't reason with her, but someone else could.

"Claws in." Adrien knelt down in front of her. "Marinette, it's me! Can you hear me?"

"You would do anything for your Adrien to love you again, wouldn't you?" Chrysalis asked, resting her hand delicately on the girl's shoulder. "To make him yours again?"

Marinette nodded fast, slowly removing her hands from her face. "Yes! I love him more than anything!"

Adrien grabbed her hands, squeezing tight. "Marinette! Resist! Don't give in!"

Chrysalis covered Marinette's hands with her own. "If only you had the power to fix broken hearts... that way your boyfriend would love you again..." She pushed the girl's hands close to her heart. "I can give you that power."

"Marinette!" Adrien waved a hand across her eyes. No matter what he said, it went in one ear and out the other. The ultrakuma's control was too strong. "It was a trap! Can you hear me?"

Marinette stared at her hands, frowning. "If you gave me this power, would I hurt anyone?"

"Of course not," the voice promised, touching Marinette's chin gently as she lifted her head, and their eyes met. "It would only help you and Adrien become the perfect couple again."

Marinette looked away, quiet as she truly considered the villain's offer. If she could get Adrien back without hurting anyone...

Chrysalis appeared behind the troubled girl, nuzzling close as she held her shoulders. She leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I can grant you that power, Marinette, but only if you agree, of course..."

Marinette's eyes filled with tears, her breaths quickening. She couldn't bear this pain anymore. She just wanted Adrien back.

Her spirit broke, and she gave in.

"What should I call you, my dear?"

"Heartfixer."

A purple glow uncased Marinette as she transformed.

Tikki gasped.

Adrien stumbled back, eyes growing wide in fear. It didn't work. He couldn't break the ultrakuma's control. "Marinette...?"

A soft light illuminated around Marinette's silhouette, her skin a solid purple, shiny and reflective. The pigtails in her hair were sharp, bound tight in barbed wire. Her own heart was ripped out of her chest, hanging from a sharp chain, acting as a weapon, and left a white-glowing empty cavity in the shape of a heart in its place. Cracks stretched out across her shoulders and up her neck, and her eyes burned a bright magenta, void of any life.

"In exchange for your powers, Heartfixer, all I ask for are Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculous." Chrysalis squinted at her akuma. "Which shouldn't be a problem, should you happen to be Ladybug." She got close to the girl's face. "Are you Ladybug, Heartfixer?"

Heartfixer didn't answer. Resist... I must resist... I can't let the truth out... I just want Adrien back...

Tikki suddenly felt a strong presence, a powerful burst of energy calling out to her. She took one last look at Marinette before she flew out of the auditorium and followed the source.

The kwami was in the library now, empty except for one person, a girl standing alone in front of a bookshelf. She had white hair tied back into a long braid, and a purple butterfly-wing-shaped mask covered her bright green eyes. A purple cane was in her right hand, and her suit—

Tikki squinted.

The butterfly brooch sat in the middle of her chest.

Tikki's eyes widened. "The new butterfly holder... but what are they doing at the school?" the kwami wondered. "Are they here for Marinette?"

Adrien cradled Marinette's face. "I'm begging you, Marinette! Talk to me!"

Heartfixer blinked and looked up. "Adrien?"

He smiled. "Marinette..."

"I'm no longer Marinette. I am Heartfixer!" She grabbed his hand and pushed him back, then spun her broken heart as she readied her weapon.

"Marinette, no!" Adrien stumbled back. "Please—"

"Once I fix your heart, you'll love me again!"

Blasts of pink light shot out towards Adrien. "Marinette!" He ducked in time and dodged all her attacks. "Stop this, please!"

"You didn't answer my question, Heartfixer," the voice whispered to the akuma.

Heartfixer ignored her again.

Chrysalis pulled herself out of her akuma's mind, scoffing to herself. "You don't want to answer me, Marinette? That's fine. I'll find out the truth myself. If you want to learn a girl's secret, you go to where she feels the safest: her bedroom. Let's see what you're hiding, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Marinette, listen to me!" Adrien cried out, somersaulting out of the way as another pink light flew at him. "I know the truth now! I know you would never lie to me!"

"Ignore him," Chrysalis instructed. "He'll say anything to keep you from completely your mission. You do want your boyfriend back, don't you?"

Heartfixer spun another attack in the boy's direction.

"Break free from the ultrakuma's influence so we can fix things with Nino and Alya!"

Heartfixer's arm fell fast and her broken heart bumped against her leg as she lowered her weapon. Her eyes brightened at the mention of her best friend. "Alya..."

"Marinette?"

Heartfixer blew a kiss to Adrien. "Wait here, lover." She left him alone in the auditorium, on a new mission now.

Adrien bared his teeth with a hiss. "This isn't good."

Plagg flew out of his holder's jacket. "You have no idea, kid! Now hurry and transform so you can save the love of your life!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Tikki started to spin in circles, panicking. She couldn't let the new butterfly holder break into Marinette's room, not with all those diaries waiting to be found. She looked at the shelf above the villain, an idea striking fast, and she flew over and pushed the top row of books off the shelf.

"Ow!" Chrysalis hissed as multiple books dropped on her head. She looked up fast. Is someone in here with me? Did Marinette and Adrien bring their fight here?

As she walked down a different aisle, another handful of books fell on her. "Ugh! What is going on?!"

Chrysalis turned a corner and ducked in time as a computer monitor flew past her. "I don't like being messed with..." she mumbled, tightening her grip on the cane in her hand. With a deep breath, she calmed down. "Let's see how my dear Marinette is faring."

She connected through to her akuma, seeing through Heartfixer's eyes, and noticed they weren't in the auditorium anymore, but outside.

"Who's your next patient, Dr. Heartfixer?" Chrysalis cooed in her ear.

"Alya Cesaire. I'm going to fix her heart and then we'll be best friends again."

"Before you do that, I need you to answer my question. Are you Ladybug?"

Heartfixer stayed quiet.

"Ugh!" Chrysalis growled. "It's rude to ignore the one who granted you this power! Answer me! Now, or I'll take away your powers."

"Go ahead then," Heartfixer deadpanned.

After a long pause, "Just don't forget our deal."

Chrysalis broke contact with Heartfixer and pushed a door open as she walked out of the library. "While you're busy with your ex-BFF, I'll go and see what secrets you're hiding in your bedroom, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Tikki secretly followed the villain and kept a safe distance behind. Marinette needed her here, but the kwami had no choice but to protect her holder's secrets.

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

"Will you please stop walking and listen to me?" Nino asked as he chased after his girlfriend, who was doing everything in her power to ditch him. So far, not affective.

"Like I said twenty times now, I want to be alone!" Alya barked at him.

Nino grabbed her arm and tugged Alya back. "I don't know what Adrien saw, but he's wrong. Nothing happened between me and Marinette."

"Why would Adrien lie about something like that?"

"I don't know! Truly, I've never been so confused in my life. You know I don't feel that way about Marinette anymore."

"But you used to," she reminded him.

Nino nodded. "Exactly, used to! As in those feelings are long gone and in the past. Marinette's just a friend."

Alya scoffed. "That's not comforting to hear at all. That's what Adrien referred to Marinette as before they started dating, remember?"

The DJ pouted. "Okay, bad choice of words, but it's not Marinette I love, it's you!"

"What if those feelings came back?"

"There's nothing for them to come back to! My heart beats for someone else now! For you!"

Alya frowned. "Look, if you fell in love with someone else... with Marinette... you could've just told me the truth. You didn't have to sneak around behind my back."

"The only person I'm in love with is you." Nino grabbed her hands and held them in his, and as Alya tried to pull free, his fingers tightened around hers. "When Ladybug locked us together in that pen at the zoo, that hour we were stuck together, I didn't just fall in love with you. I fell in love with your wit and your humor and your spirit. I fell in love with your determination and your fight for justice. When we shared out first kiss, I knew right then and there that I didn't want to kiss anyone else, that there wouldn't be anyone else for me. You're the one I want. You're the one I love, Alya Cesaire. My little raisin bun. My everything. The day I stop loving you is the day hell freezes over, and that isn't happening any time soon. Please take my words to heart and believe that I would never betray you like this."

Alya opened her mouth to speak, then stopped. "I want to believe you. My mind and heart are telling me I should."

Nino cradled her cheek in his palm, and this time she didn't pull back. "Then do."

"Nino..." Alya nuzzled close against his touch. She did believe him. "I do," she whispered into his hand. "Of course you wouldn't do this, but what about what Adrien saw?"

The DJ's hand fell. "I don't know what or who Adrien saw kissing, but it wasn't me or Marinette. This has to be the work of a cruel, sick prank."

Alya touched her chin, thinking. "Adrien said he saw you and Marinette together, or what he thought was you and—" Her gaze focused behind Nino as she noticed a group of people watching them. She squinted, realizing it was Ray, Loic, and Nelson.

Nino followed her line of sight and turned around. "What do those creeps want?"

The trio watched Alya and Nino closely, each with their own sick satisfied grin on their faces.

"Wait..." Alya's eyebrows furrowed together as different scenarios played out in her mind. "It's possible that—"

"What is it?" Nino asked as he faced his girlfriend.

The reporter looked up. "I think—"

"Alya!" Heartfixer dropped down in front of them and swung her barbed heart into a weapon. "I've found you!"

Nino immediately took a protective stance in front of Alya and pushed her behind him.

Alya did a onceover at the purple-coated supervillain. Her pigtails look familiar.

"Good news, BFF!" Heartfixer cheered. "I may not have been the cause of your broken heart, but I know how to fix it!"

Alya's eyes widened as Nino gasped. "Marinette?!" they shouted at the same time.

"I'm no longer Marinette. I am Heartfixer!"

"No!" Alya shook her head fast. "You've been akumatized..." She looked at her earrings; Marinette was still wearing them. If Ladybug's not here, who's going to purify the akuma?

Nino frowned. "Aw, dude..." If anyone was going to get akumatized, he expected it to be Adrien.

Heartfixer stepped forward, swinging her weapon fast and offered her hand out to her best friend. "Let me fix your heart, Alya, then we can be best friends again!"

"Marinette, I know you can break free from the ultrakuma's control! You're strong enough!" Alya begged.

Heartfixer shot a blast of pink light towards Alya.

"Wayzz, shell on! Shelter!" Carapace raised his shield and a green barrier appeared around them, protecting them from the akuma's power.

"Marinette!" Cat Noir ran up behind the villain, holding his staff out in front of him. "Stop it! You can fight this!"

Heartfixer turned and looked at the hero, and thanks to the cat's distraction, Carapace dropped the barrier and scooped Alya in his arms, and they snuck off undetected.

"You've done it before. Remember?" the cat asked. "Don't let this pain control you. Break free from the ultrakuma!"

Chrysalis chuckled. "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," she purred in her akuma's ear. "Sounds like you and the cat have history, but perhaps... it's more than that? Are you Cat Noir's partner?"

Heartfixer refused to answer—again. Resist!

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "I should've expected that."

Heartfixer stepped towards the hero. "Do you think you can save me again with a little kiss?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Sorry to break your heart, Cat Noir, but mine belongs to someone else. But don't worry, if you'll allow me, I can fix you right back up."

Cat Noir frowned. "Please, Marinette—"

"Stop calling me that! I am not Marinette anymore!"

"You'll always be Marinette to me."

Heartfixer chuckled. "Why the sad face, Kitty? Let me help. Let me fix your broken heart!"

She swung her weapon in his direction and three blasts of light shot out towards Cat Noir. He dodged all attacks, and instead of staying to fight, he turned and fled.

Cat Noir wanted to minimize the damage Heartfixer could cause, and if she would only attack him then so be it. He felt it was his fault Marinette got akumatized in the first place. He didn't listen to her; he didn't believe her.

Now it was up to him to save her.

"Go and get Cat Noir's miraculous!" Chrysalis ordered. "You know him better than anyone. How he thinks, how he fights... don't you, Ladybug? Is that who you are?"

Heartfixer ignored her prying questions and chased after the hero.

Cat Noir glanced back to make sure she was still following behind. Come on... just a little closer... He lured her back to the auditorium and slipped inside quietly, standing off to the side as he held his breath.

Heartfixer kicked the doors open and walked in, taking small, careful steps as she searched for the cat. She noticed the room was empty and gasped. "Where's Adrien?"

Cat Noir slammed the door shut, then leapt forward and tackled Heartfixer from behind. They dropped to the floor and rolled across the carpet.

"Let go of me!" the akuma demanded.

The cat straddled Heartfixer's lap and grabbed both of her arms, pinning them fast down beside her head. "I will never stop fighting for you, Marinette! Never!" He raised his arm. "Cataclysm!"

As Cat Noir reached for her purse, Heartfixer headbutted him and he fell back. His hand accidently touched the carpet and burned a hole through the fabric.

Heartfixer brought her legs close, and with a grunt she kicked the cat across the room. She jumped to her feet and spun her weapon. "What have you done with Adrien?!" 

"He doesn't want to see you! Not like this." 

"Tell me where Adrien is!" 

"Fine!" Cat Noir extended his hand forward. "Give me your purse and I'll tell you." 

"Don't let that cat trick you!" Chrysalis warned her akuma. "He's the only thing keeping you apart from Adrien. Destroy him. Take his miraculous!" 

Heartfixer leapt at the hero. "Let's make a trade then! Give me your miraculous and you can have my heart!" she shouted, swinging the heart-shaped weapon towards his head. "Stay still!" 

Cat Noir ducked in time and rolled out of the way. He raised his staff and aimed it towards Heartfixer, keeping a safe distance from her. "It breaks my heart to see you like this..." 

"Then let me fix it!" 

As a blast of pink light flew across the room, Cat Noir tightened his grip on the staff and swung, sending the attack back. The power hit straight into the akuma's chest, causing the cavity to expand, and more cracks spread over her body, crawling down her torso. 

Cat Noir gasped. "Marinette?"

Heartfixer dismissed the pain with a frown. "Sorry, Cat Noir, someone else has had the privilege of breaking my heart."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Chrysalis dropped through the skylight to Marinette's bedroom, leaping over the railing, and landed in the middle of the room. "You must have a diary hidden somewhere, Marinette..."

She started searching through her things, carefully inspecting piles of fabric, combing through her desk drawers, flipping slowly through Marinette's sketchbook.

So far, nothing incriminating or of interest.

Chrysalis made sure to put everything back into place, not to leave a trace of herself behind.

Tikki appeared from the skylight and hid behind the mannequin in the corner of the room. Panic rose fast in the kwami. Marinette always came up with a solution at the most desperate times, surely Tikki could, too.

Chrysalis lightly tapped the end of her cane against the floor, eyes trailing around every inch of the room. "Hmm... if you want to hide something, you keep it close to your heart... somewhere you're most vulnerable..."

She looked up at the loft.

"Hmm..."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Cat Noir dove out of the way as he dodged another attack. Not fighting Marinette wasn't working. He couldn't avoid her forever.

"Stay still and let me fix your heart!"

Cat Noir ducked under Heartfixer's weapon and swept his leg underneath hers. As she stumbled back, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pushed her against the wall, using his staff as a barrier to trap her, and held it against her chest. "Snap out of it! Please, Marinette... I don't want to fight you."

Heartfixer gently cradled Cat Noir's face, and he fell weak against her touch. "Neither do I."

"Marinette—"

Heartfixer headbutted the cat again, reaching for his wrist as the staff dropped, and she twisted his arm back, forcing him to his knees. White tears leaked from her magenta eyes and as her body shook violently, she hugged herself tight. "I don't... I don't want to hurt anyone... I just want to fix everything!" she cried out in pained, desperate breaths. "I want my friends back. I want Adrien back. My Adrien!"

Cat Noir grabbed his staff and returned it to his back as he stood slowly. This isn't working. No matter what I say as Cat Noir, Heartfixer won't listen! Maybe she needs someone else.

The cat backed away slowly, then spun on his heels and ran out of the room.

Heartfixer flinched as the door closed and she looked around the room. She was alone. Adrien was gone. Cat Noir, too. Alya as well. She had lost everyone she cared about. The cavity in her chest expanded and more cracks and rips shot throughout her body and she winced in pain.

Heartfixer stared at her broken heart beating faintly in her hand, slowly raising the weapon closer. "If I use it on myself, will it fix my broken heart?" she wondered.

"Marinette?" The doors behind her swung open and Adrien ran in, out of breath. "Marinette!"

Heartfixer spun around fast. The sight of her love melted away the pain, and a smile grew wide on her face. "Adrien! Have you come to your senses? Are you ready for me to fix your heart, my love?"

"There's nothing to fix," Adrien said.

She gasped, then growled in frustration as she spun her weapon. "Yes, there is! It's not too late!" As she attacked Adrien, he managed to duck and dodge and every hit. "Please let me fix everything!"

"Marinette, stop!"

Chrysalis was back in Heartfixer's mind, determined to know the truth. Her search in Marinette's bedroom was turning hopeless. "Heartfixer! Are you Ladybug!"

The villain waited for a response. Nothing. She was tired of the silent treatment.

"Tell me what I want to know, or you'll never have your Adrien back!"

Heartfixer's eyes closed tight as she fought within herself. She wanted Adrien back, but could she risk revealing her secret identity to do so?

"I'm getting nowhere with that brat." Chrysalis climbed the ladder to the loft and looked over Marinette's safe haven. The walls were decorated with pictures of her friends. Her eyes widened. "Of course... what Marinette treasures most..." She started crawling across the mattress.

Adrien noticed Heartfixer was distracted and took his last chance to save her. He rushed forward and grabbed her arm, spinning her around fast, and wrapped her in a tight hug, holding her close.

Heartfixer struggled to free herself from his grasp.

He brushed his face against hers. "There's nothing to fix, Marinette, because my heart is mended already."

Her eyes widened. "Is it?" she softly asked.

"What's going on?!" Chrysalis gasped as she froze in place on the mattress. She was losing control of Marinette!

"Yes," Adrien whispered.

She connected fast to her akuma, frantic and desperate to keep her. "No, no! Don't listen to him!" she ordered her akuma. "He's manipulating you!"

"It was a trap to break us up," Adrien began to explain. "Ray, Loic, and Nelson—they were akumatized. They stole our appearances in order to trick us all. You, me, Nino, Alya." He closed his eyes and pulled her closer to him. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I should've listened to you. I should've trusted you. How could I ever believe that you would lie to me?"

"Don't listen to Adrien! Fight him! Use the power I gave you and fix his heart! Make him yours again!"

"Forgive me," Adrien whispered in her ear, then pecked her on the cheek. "I love you."

Heartfixer silently gasped with wide eyes. She turned to look at Adrien. "Still?"

He nodded fast. "I'm begging you... tell me that you still love me, too."

As fast as it broke, her heart was mended again.

Heartfixer dropped her weapon and a heavy ache melted away. She reached up and grabbed Adrien's arm, and a tiny gasp escaped him. She smiled. "Of course I love you," she reassured him as she spun on her heels and held her love's face in her hands. "I will always love you, Adrien."

Adrien moved in sync with Heartfixer as their lips brushed together. They melted into each other, and as her arms fell to her sides, he cradled the side of her face and pulled her closer, offering a second and third kiss.

In a bright purple flash, Marinette broke free from the ultrakuma's control. Their love was so pure and strong and powerful, it de-evilized the butterfly on its own.

"No! No! No!" Chrysalis shrieked as she punched the wall. "I had Marinette right where I wanted her! I was so close! How could I fail?!"

Tikki smiled. Marinette must've been de-akumatized!

"Did you hear something, Tom?" Sabine's voice carried from downstairs. "Sounds like someone's up in Marinette's room."

"Maybe that racoon is back," Tom suggested. "You know our muffin has a bad habit of leaving that skylight open." He kissed his wife's forehead. "Don't worry, honey, I'll go up and investigate."

Chrysalis glared at the trap door, then quickly made her escape back up through the skylight.

The trapdoor opened and Tom poked his head in, looking around his daughter's bedroom. He didn't see any critters or anything suspicious. He shrugged. "It must've been the wind," he called out to Sabine as he retreated downstairs.

Tikki left her holder's bedroom and raced back to the school. She swooped into the auditorium and appeared at Plagg's side, hiding with him by the door.

Adrien pulled back from the kiss and opened his eyes, smiling wide as Marinette had taken Heartfixer's place. Marinette grabbed his hand on her face and held it tight, gazing at him with wide, lovesick eyes.

"I love you," they both whispered.

Tikki and Plagg shared a proud smile.

Marinette and Adrien embraced each other tight, wanting to enjoy the peace that was finally restored.

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

As the trio of bullies walked through the vegetable garden, they rewatched the video they filmed, proud smiles on their faces.

"You don't know how to love him, so I will..."

Loic chuckled. "Adrien will never give Marinette the time of day again!"

They all shared a high five.

"I'm sure Alya wants nothing to do with Nino, either," Ray added.

Nelson chuckled. "After so many failed attempts, our plan finally—"

Cheers interrupted their victory. Ray, Loic, and Nelson ran over and looked over the balcony, watching as Marinette and Adrien walked out of the building hand in hand.

Nelson glared at the couple. "How is that possible?!"

"Their relationship was over!" Ray shouted.

"Ugh!" Loic punched his fists on the stone railing. "No, no, no! This was supposed to work! How did our plan unravel so fast?"

From behind the trio, Prem gasped as the baby birds chirped and started moving. "Look, my three princes!" he called out to Ray, Loic, and Nelson. "Look at the miracle of love!"

The baby birds took flight and flew towards the trio of bullies.

Loic shook his arms around. "Hey, stop bothering us with your stupid birds!" He stumbled back into Nelson, who dropped the phone holding the video of their supposed victory.

"No!" Nelson couldn't do anything but watch as it fell into a trough of water. "Damn it..." he muttered.

Adrien squeezed Marinette's hand tight. "I'm so ashamed... the way I spoke to Nino.. shoving him like that... I'd understand it he didn't want to be my friend anymore."

Marinette stopped walking and reached out to gently cradle his face. "It was the heat of the moment."

He shook his head. "Still, I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"We were all tricked, remember?" she reminded him. "Nino will forgive you."

Adrien's head hung low. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I am." Marinette tugged on Adrien's sleeve and he looked up.

From across the sidewalk, Nino and Alya were heading towards them. The four friends met halfway and stood still and quiet as they all exchanged looks with each other.

Alya stepped forward and threw her arms fast around Marinette. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I figured it out. It was all a trick concocted by those cruel bullies. Do you have it in your heart to forgive me?"

Marinette nodded. "Of course, Al..." She hugged her best friend tight, smiling. "You'll always have me."

Adrien scratched the back of his neck as he approached his best friend. "Hey, Nino.. about what happened earlier..." He dropped his gaze to the ground. He couldn't even look Nino in the eye, that's how much shame he carried in his heart. "I'm so sorry. There's no excuse for what I did." Tears fell from his eyes and he closed them tight. "Please, if you'll still be my friend, I'd like to ask for your forgiveness. Not that I deserve it. If not, I understand perfectly—"

Nino hugged his best friend and pulled him close. Adrien's eyes widened. "You were manipulated, dude. We all were. In the future, though, if we ever see something crazy again, let's talk about it. Deal?"

He nodded. "Deal."

The DJ pulled back. "Besides, I probably would have reacted the same way if I saw you kissing Alya."

Adrien laughed, then he and Nino shared their special fist bump.

As Adrien turned to his girlfriend, something above caught his attention and he saw Ray, Loic, and Nelson up in the vegetable garden. Anger rose slowly within him and his fists balled at his sides. He took a deep breath. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Marinette asked.

He paused. "Uh... I lost my phone," he lied. "I think it's in the auditorium. I'll meet you outside, okay?"

She nodded, then stepped forward to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Sounds good."

Marinette, Nino, and Alya walked off together, and Adrien turned his gaze back to the trio of bullies, glaring.

Loic raised his foot and kicked a tree. "Why do our plans never work?!"

"It's because we were unprepared." Ray crossed his arms, annoyed. "We underestimated the love Marinette and Adrien have for each other. Maybe if we reach out again, we'll get their support back. We can break them up for good this time."

"That wouldn't be a good idea."

The three of them spun around as Adrien walked towards them, a glare steady on his face.

Nelson's posture straightened. "What are you—"

"I don't know what your problem is," Adrien cut in. "I don't know why the three of you like hurting people. Maybe it's because you're bored. Maybe you're all severely insecure."

"Excuse me?" Nelson asked.

"Could be jealously, too. You're all unhappy with your own mediocre lives, so you want to hurt anyone who even has a slightly better life than you."

Loic growled, then pointed a finger at him. "Where do you get the nerve to talk to us like this?"

"One word of this to my father and I could have you and your little girlfriend expelled," Ray threatened.

Adrien didn't let intimidation influence him. Instead, he held his ground. "Going after me is one thing, but hurting Marinette was your biggest mistake."

Nelson chuckled. "You two can't be happy forever. One day your love will come crumbling down. I mean, look what happened today, how easy it was. We can ruin your lives."

Adrien stepped forward and grabbed Nelson's shirt, hands tightening around the fabric as he pulled him in close. "Go after Marinette again and we'll see who's life is ruined."

He let Nelson go, and the trio stared with wide, frightened eyes, speechless.

Adrien walked off without another word.

Ray and Loid shared a nervous look. "Who knew Pretty Boy could be so terrifying?"

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Marinette stood at the entrance, kicking around a stray rock, and she looked up as the front door opened. Adrien stepped out. "There you are," she greeted with a sweet smile.

"Sorry that I kept you waiting."

"Did you find your phone?" she asked.

Right, the lie I told her. Adrien laughed, then patted his back pocket. "Silly me, I had it the whole time."

Marinette giggled. "I've been there before."

Adrien found Marinette's hand as they walked to her parked scooter.

"So, Ray, Loic, and Nelson really got akumatized to try and break us up, huh?" she summarized. "And they used our faces... really creepy."

"I don't understand it, either, Marinette. First my father, now them. It seems like no one wants us to be happy together." He noticed the frown on her face and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, I'm sure we won't be bothered by those guys again," he assured her.

"I hope so."

As they reached her parked scooter, Adrien faced her. "Marinette, I will keep apologizing over and over again. I am so sorry for not believing you." He reached up and cradled her face, brushing his thumb along her jawline. "Of course you wouldn't lie to me. I should've known that."

Marinette looked away. "It wasn't your fault. They made you see—" She didn't even want to say it out loud. "They tricked you."

"Marinette—"

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," she whispered, pulling her hand free from Adrien's as she hugged herself. "Me, akumatized..." She touched one of her earrings, pouting, then tucked loose hair behind her ear. "I'm ashamed I gave in so easily."

Adrien moved his hand to hers, holding her face gently in his palms. "You have nothing to be ashamed about, Marinette. This new villain took advantage of your pain and suffering. You're only human after all." He kissed her. "Please don't be so hard on yourself."

Marinette offered a sad smile. As she stared at Adrien, a quick thought suddenly came back. A word she remembered hearing before the ultrakuma took over.

Cataclysm.

Cat Noir was there; Marinette was sure of it. She had heard him activate his power, but after she broke free from the ultrakuma, only Adrien was there with her in the auditorium. Did she hear things? Imagine it all? 

There's no way Adrien is Cat Noir, she wondered to herself, right?

Adrien grazed his thumb along her cheek. "Marinette? Something still on your mind?"

She didn't answer.

"Is it about the letter you wrote for me?"

Marinette blinked, his question snapping her out of her train of thought. "Huh?"

"What you were trying to tell me this morning, does it have anything to do with the letter?" Adrien asked.

She nodded. "Yes! But, umm, it's not ready for you to read yet. It's... uh..." She said the first thing that came to mind. "A love poem!"

"A love poem?" Adrien repeated, excited.

"Yup! A love poem," Marinette lied. "Now you know the truth, but I'm still drafting it. After all, I want it to be perfect for you."

Adrien leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Take your time." He put his helmet on and climbed on the scooter behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Any words from you will be beautiful."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Marinette and Alya sat together at the bay window in the designer's room.

"The only good thing that came out of this crazy mess is the perfect nickname I figured out for Nino. What do you think about: my little cannoli?" the reporter asked.

Marinette smiled, then quickly looked away with a frown.

"What's up, girl?"

"I let myself get akumatized, Alya." She took off her earrings. "I'm no longer worthy of my miraculous, or my role as Guardian." She held her hands out. "From now on you, Scarabella, will—"

"Woah, woah, hold on!" Alya spat out fast, shaking her head. She pushed Marinette's hand away. "You didn't hurt anyone, Marinette."

"Alya's right," Tikki agreed. "You broke free from the ultrakuma in time."

"Yes, but only thanks to Adrien." Marinette held her palm out, staring down at the earrings. "What happens if next time, he's not there? Imagine what would've happened if I didn't have him to anchor me down."

Alya grabbed her hands. "Don't blame yourself for things out of your control. We all have our moments of weakness."

"But I am Ladybug. I can't have any weaknesses."

The reporter shook her head. "That's not true. Ladybug is human, too. Please, be as kind to yourself as you are to others."

Marinette sighed, then pulled Alya into a hug. "Do you want to sleep over tonight?"

Alya smiled. "You couldn't keep me away if you tried."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Alya was fast asleep in bed now. Marinette sat on the edge of the mattress, staring up through the skylight at the full moon. It was almost one a.m. She couldn't sleep.

I wonder if Cat Noir is looking at the moon right now, too.

Tikki flew over and rested on her holder's knee. "Marinette, there's something I've needed to tell you, but I was waiting for Alya to fall asleep."

"What is it, Tikki?"

"Earlier when you got akumatized, I felt a presence from somewhere in the school. So strong I couldn't help but feel drawn to it."

Marinette looked at her kwami. "What kind of presence?"

"It was Nooroo calling out to me from the miraculous!" Tikki explained. "He was trying to warn me. The new butterfly holder was in the library, hiding."

Marinette's eyes widened. "What?! They were—wait." She paused. "Ray, Loic, and Nelson... their plan to break up me and Adrien... it was only one part of the new butterfly holder's plan! Getting me akumatized was the ultimate goal."

"And that's not all," the kwami continued. "This new villain suspects that you are Ladybug, and they broke into your bedroom earlier and almost found your diaries!"

The pig-tailed glanced at the picture frame on the wall, then down at Alya sleeping on her side. "If anyone finds those diaries, Tikki, it'd be a complete disaster. The end of the world. The end of Ladybug."

Alya peeked an eye open, secretly eavesdropping. As soon as she felt Marinette leave her side, she knew something was up with her. She thought it was best not to show she was awake. Marinette was finally opening up. How and why does this new butterfly holder suspect Marinette is Ladybug? What secret could be so bad it would cause the end of the world? What exactly is that girl hiding? So many questions, and Marinette has all the answers, yet she's all but willing to share. I need to do my own investigation if I want to learn the truth.

"I'll find a new hiding spot, Tikki," Marinette assured her kwami, and as she stepped over her best friend to the ladder, Alya squeezed her eyes tight. Her hand tightened around the wood. "If this new holder suspects I'm Ladybug, then we'll just have to make sure they never find out the truth." She stepped off the ladder and walked over to her desk, grabbing the letter for Adrien from her backpack. "Not just the dairies, but the letter, too."

"Marinette—"

"I wanted to know if Adrien was ready to hear the truth, but it turns out I'm the one who's not ready to tell him," Marientte whispered.

"Why do you say that?" Tikki asked.

"Because if the truth came out and caused Adrien and I to break up, I would only get akumatized again, and that would be a disaster."

The kwami frowned. "So... what are you going to do?"

"Keep the letter in a place protected where no one can reach it. Tikki, spots on."

A pink light flashed in the room as Marinette transformed into Ladybug. She grabbed her yo-yo and opened the magical portal, stuffing the letter inside.

Unnoticed by the spotted hero, Alya watched the bug closely, squinting. Why is Marinette keeping a letter from Adrien, inside her yo-yo no less? What secret could be so detrimental that Ladybug would go to great lengths to keep it properly hidden from the world?

"Why are we spying on the Gurdian?" Trixx whispered in her holder's ear.

Alya pressed her lips in a tight line. "Marinette's hiding something, not just from me, but from Adrien, too."

The tiny fox frowned. "Perhaps it's a great burden that needn't be shared."

"Whatever this is, Marinette can trust me. She knows that."

"Are you going to confront her about it?" Trixx asked.

Alya shook her head. "Not yet." She leaned back and lied back on the bed, pulling the blanket closer. Whatever Marinette's keeping to herself, I'm sure she'll let me in and help before it's too late. "Let's just go back to sleep, Trixx."

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

"Adrien... my Adrien... I've lost my Adrien!"

"Plagg, claws out!" Cat Noir kicked the auditorium door opened and rushed inside. He had his sights set on the ultrakuma. "Cataclysm!"

Marinette was unaware of the evil butterfly heading towards her.

His hand was inches away from destroying it, from saving the love of his life, but the ultrakuma suddenly changed course and entered one of her earrings.

Stunned, Cat Noir tripped over his tail and fell forward. His hand activated with his power touched Marinette's arm and the cataclysm burned her. She screeched out in pain and her body started shaking out of control.

Cat Noir's eyes widened.

"Nooooooo!"

Adrien sat up fast in bed, his body covered in cold sweat. His breaths came out fast and frantic, eyes wide. He grabbed his head as the nightmare replayed in his head. He hurt Marinette. He used his cataclysm on her. He—

"Wait," he whispered to himself, eyebrows furrowing together as he remembered another part of the nightmare. Something changed, it was different this time. Not like how it happened earlier. The ultrakuma went into— "Her earrings?" he voiced out loud in a quiet breath.

That didn't make sense.

Adrien held his hands out before him, palms up. They were shaking. Marinette's scream echoed in his head, louder and louder, and even though it wasn't real, it felt like it.

He had cataclysmed someone before—Monarch—and in the back of his mind, he was always worried he'd do it again. This time to someone he loved.

Quiet sobs escaped Adrien and he closed his eyes tight, moving his arms to hug himself.

Plagg flew over to Adrien and tapped his paw on his forehead. "Bad dream?"

Adrien looked up, teary-eyed, and nodded fast. "Yes. Marinette got akumatized again. This time... I couldn't save her."

He didn't mention accidently using his cataclysm on Marinette because he didn't want to speak it into existence. If it stayed just a fear, just a nightmare, it would never materialize.

"You had a bad day, Adrien," his kwami reminded him. "You're still freaked about what happened. The love of your life was akumatized right in front of you, but you saved her. You got her to break free from the ultrakuma. Don't take the nightmare to heart. It's your own mind trying to scare you."

"Well, it's working," Adrien mumbled as he pulled his knees to his chest. "What if Ray, Loic, and Nelson go after Marinette and get her akumatized again and I'm not there to save her?"

Plagg waved away his concern with a shake of his paw. "Don't worry! Ladybug would take care of it," he tried to reassure, but deep down the kwami was worried, too. The tiny cat nuzzled against Adrien's hair, offering any comfort his holder needed.

"Would she?" Adrien wondered out loud. In his nightmare, the ultrakuma entered Marinette's earrings. It had to mean something, deep down in his subconscious.

His eyes widened suddenly.

Marinette has been acting strange lately the last few months. She's always disappearing at the most random times. Her silly excuses I always wrote off as her anxious behavior. But... but could she really be...?

Adrien sighed.

No. I could never be so lucky.

Adrien grabbed his phone, opening his text history with Marinette, and he smiled at her contact photo. He tapped a button and recorded a voice message for her.

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

"Spots off."

As Ladybug detransformed, her phone beeped with a new alert, and she grabbed her phone from her pocket. It was a voice message from Adrien.

"You're probably asleep right now, but I just wanted to let you know that I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You are the best thing that has happened to me. I'd be so lost without you. You're my anchor. I miss you. Morning can't come fast enough."

Marinette smiled. She forced the shame and the guilt deep down into her heart and held her phone close to her lips.

"I guess you can't sleep either," she chuckled as she recorded her own voice message. "Today was pretty crazy, huh? I love you, Adrien Agreste. No matter what happens, I will always love you. I will always be there for you. If I'm your anchor, then you're my ship. I'll see you in the morning. Try and get some sleep. Sweet dreams."

Adrien replied instantly with a selfie of him holding the lucky charm she gifted him, with an attached message:

'With my Marinette lucky charm, I'll only have sweet dreams of you.'

── ⋆⋅ ꨄ︎ ⋅⋆ ──

Alone in her dim lit lair underground, Lila vigorously scribbled today's event into a new notebook, one dedicated for just a special girl.

'Though I wasn't successful in what I was searching for, I still have a tiny victory to claim. I did what Gabriel Agreste never could: the impossible. I akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The girl who once claimed she would never fall for any of my tricks.'

'I have to give credit where it's due. Her spirit wasn't completely destroyed. Somehow Marinette still had control over her mind. She refused to answer any of my questions. How could she resist me?!'

'I bet you think you're so lucky. Cat Noir came to help. Adrien broke you free from my ultrakuma. The gang's back together. Everything's perfect. Happily ever after. Wrong! Don't count your eggs before they've hatched.'

'This is far from over, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I will learn the truth. I broke you once, I can break you again, and next time it'll be more than your heart!'