Ladybug finally understood how Chat Noir had gotten injured. He wasn't paying attention because his mind was elsewhere, and even when she told him to get his head in the game, whatever he was thinking about was far too distracting. Ladybug realised this the second time she dropped her yo-yo too early, so the akuma stepped over the trip wire instead of falling on it. Her mind was too much on Chat Noir. He was luring the akuma into their trap, but he was being so - so - so Chat Noir about it! Dancing and waving and blowing raspberries and terrible puns, and every time he was in sight she stared at him, because every time he was out of sight her heart stopped until she saw him again.
And then, horror of all horrors, she didn't notice one of his minions lifting up Alya, and she very nearly because one of his pawns. At the very last moment, Ladybug threw her yo-yo to make them drop Alya, lassoed the poor girl, and dragged her closer.
This was too much. Too distracting. She couldn't bear to see him hurt, and she was too focused on stopping anything hurting him she almost got Alya hurt.
Ladybug and Alya landed on the roof behind the akuma. Ladybug laid a hand on Alya's head, checking for any signs that she had been hit. Internally, Alya screamed with excitement.

"Are you ok?" Ladybug panted.

"Yeah, yeah, y-yeah, I'm fine, are you? You seem distracted," Alya said.

Ladybug sighed, "Yeah, I know, I'll sort it out, don't worry. Stay down. Try not to let him see your phone or he'll try to grab you again."

As Ladybug swung away, Alya considered the possibilities that being captured again would cause Ladybug to talk to her more, and wondered if it was would really be so bad to show off her phone after all.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug called.

Chat swung himself around to see her heading this way. He ducked down to avoid the swinging arms of the akuma, and leapt forward. Ladybug gasped as the akuma reached for his tail. Without thinking, she threw her yo-yo and grabbed him around the middle, dragging him forward. He yelped as he flew through the air, straight into her arms. He landed in her arms and blinked in surprise. She forced a grin.

"I thought cats always landed on their feet."

"They do when its voluntary," Chat said.

He pulled away from Ladybug, put his feet firmly on the ground, and started to stomp back towards the akuma. She gasped and snatched his wrist to pull him back.

"No!"

Chat frowned at her in confusion, and dragged his hand back away from her, which made her inhale sharply.

"What's going on with you LB?" He demanded.

She stared at him, her heart racing with fear of the idea of losing him. Especially when she was supposed to be his partner, standing by his side to save him when he needed her. She'd already failed once. She wouldn't let it happen again. But he stared at her like she was going crazy, and part of her wondered if she was. She had to be crazy to think she could keep him safe.

Chat recognised the fear in her eyes. He had only seen it once in her before. The day they met. It felt so very, very long ago. She wasn't so vulnerable anymore. Well, not into now.

"What's wrong my lady? We should have this all wrapped up by now. What's going on?" He asked.

His hand automatically landed on her arm, making her stomach drop further. If she lost him, a touch, even as simple as this, would never happen again. She would not allow that.

"Stay here Chat, I'll deal with this myself," she ordered.

Chat frowned. "Wait - What?!"

"Stay here! Or, better yet, go keep Alya safe," she shouted.

She was going to run back into battle, but he tripped her up with his staff to stop her.

"Stop! What are you doing?! You can't put me on the side lines, I'm your partner, not your sidekick!"

Ladybug felt that hit right against her chest. "Please Chat-"

But mild resentment pinned back by being in love with her now had nothing to stop them escaping.

"No Ladybug! This is my job, I have to be there. You aren't the only hero is Paris, I'm here to help. You need me! Paris needs me!"

"I do need you, I need you to be safe, so stay here!" She said firmly.

"No."

"Chat Noir-"

"Ladybug you have to tell me the truth. You've been distracted all day, you could have stopped this three times by now-"

The akuma cleared his throat in irritation. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"

"JUST WAIT A MINUTE!" Chat snapped.

The akuma scowled. "Wait?! Wait?! I'm not waiting for-"

Chat Noir was fed up now, "WAIT A MINUTE OR A WILL CATACLYSM YOU!"

"Hawkmoth-" there was a pause as Hawkmoth explained what to do, and the akuma huffed. "oh fine!"

He sat down sulkily on the ground, and gestured for them to continue, because Hawkmoth was curious to see how the argument would end. Chat turned to glare at Ladybug, and her heart was so heavy it felt fit to burst.

"This isn't like you Ladybug, now tell me the truth," he said, seriously.

She swallowed, "I want you to be safe, because-"

"I can't stay safe! You and I were chosen for this. Chosen despite the dangers-"

"Dangers that are waiting!" The akuma called.

"You have to be honest with me-"

"I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" Ladybug shouted.

Chat Noir did a complete turn and had no idea what he was supposed to say. She completely wiped away his anger and left him gobsmacked.

"You - you what?"

She bowed her head, terrified about what to tell him but it was too late to back out now. She tried not to let the lump in her throat quiver in her voice, but of course it crept it.

"I love you Kitty... I love you. Completely and utterly and with my whole heart I love you. So I can't keep letting you risk your life like this! I want you to be safe, I need you to be safe because... I don't know what I'd do without you."

There it was. The words he'd longed so deeply to hear his lady say for years. Words he dreamed of. Words he was desperate for. Yet now, they filled him with fear. At what point had be fallen out of love with her? He'd been enraptured by Marinette for so long he couldn't remember when the change finally happened. Just when it hit him. Now he had to face his lady, his first love, and tell her she was too late.

"My lady... I'm sorry. I've wanted you to tell me that since the day we met, but now... my heart belongs to someone else..."

That was it. Heartbreak in a single moment. It should have felt good, shouldn't it? He wasn't in love with Ladybug, so Marinette had a chance. But damn it hurt to hear him say he didn't love her... Her heart snapped. She couldn't breathe anymore. It hurt too much to try.
But Ladybug was a hero. She had to protect every citizen before herself. Even Chat Noir. So she forced the air into her burning lungs, and gulped back the ball in her throat.

"Then, for their sake, stop being so foolish."

Chat bowed his head. She was right. He'd been showing off. He knew Alya would film him and show Marinette and he was so busy trying to show off and impress her, that he wasn't thinking. He wasn't being safe. Chat glanced into her sapphire eyes and they glistened with tears. A memory of the blazing agony when he had to weld his head back together, brought back the pain. That was something he couldn't bear to risk that again. His hand slipped down her arm, and landed on her hand. His voice was barely audible.

"LB, you're my partner. We have to stand together. Even now. You have to trust me."

"I do chat!" She insisted desperately.

"Then you have to trust that I'm ok. I'm going to be ok," he glanced up to look her in the eye, "I need you to trust me."

Ladybug had never looked so vulnerable. Her head was low, but her gaze was fixed on him, visibly anxious on his behalf. Her heart ached harder, desperate to kiss him, but forbidden to... The lump in her throat slipped into her chest, and ached deeply. She swallowed, and gave a small nod. Chat flashed her a grin. She felt her heart stop. He used his staff as a helicopter blade to fly through the air, and her stomach ached to chase after him and defend him. She was heartbroken, but utterly terrified that something would happen to him. He turned away from her, cleared his throat, and faced the akuma.

"We're done, we're ready to fight again."

"Oh, goodie!" The akuma huffed.

Ladybug was no longer in the mood to be messed with. She wanted to go home, and she wanted to cry. That all transformed into deep anger that she directed entirely at the akuma. Within two minutes, the butterfly was fluttering away, and shining lights were dancing around them, fixing the damage it had created. Chat glanced around, hoping to get a chance to talk to her properly about this, but she was gone.

...

Marinette buried her face heavily into her pillow, crying messily. She was loud, but it was muffled. Downstairs, her parents were concerned, but they couldnt ask her about it, because she locked her bedroom door. Then she locked the skylight. that's when Tikki's antennas slumped downwards, like when Chat's ears sank against his head. She was sitting between Marinette's shoulder blades, feeling her back rise and fall as each sob racked through her body.
Tikki wasn't sure how to cheer Marinette up. They'd never been in this position before. Every time Marinette threw herself across the bed like this is was because she was having a hard time dealing with Adrien. Every time there was still hope, because she never actually said anything to him, so they could fix all of this by talking. This time she had been told by the one she loved that he didn't love her back.
What could Tikki do to help that?
Last time Tikki was that sad, Plagg had been there to pick her back up. He sang to her. He wasn't very good at singing, but it was the effort that cheered her up. Maybe Marinette would appreciate it took. Tikki's voice shook at first, but it grew a little stronger as Marinette's sobbing grew weaker.

"You think you got the best of me? Think you had the last laugh? Bet you think that everything good is gone... Think you left me broken down? Think that I'd come running back? Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong..."

Marinette turned her head on her damp pillow when Tikki paused. Quietly at first, her voice shaking too, she joined in.

"What doesn't kill you... makes you stronger... stand a little taller... it doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone..."

Together their voices got a little stronger. Both of them felt better as their voices joined together, lifting one another.

"What doesn't kill you makes a fighter. Footsteps even lighter. Doesn't mean I'm over 'Cause you're gone..."

Marinette rolled over, so Tikki was sitting on her belly rather than her back, and now when she yawned, Tikki rose and fall, but slower than before.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger... stronger. Just me, myself and I. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller, doesn't mean I'm lonely... when I'm alone..."

Her voice died in a yawn. Marinette had tired herself out. Rushing around school, chasing an akuma, getting her heart broken, sobbing the pain out, it exhausted her. Tikki was a warm spot on her chest that was alive and well, when the rest of her felt so very, very broken. The heat emanating from Tikki spread across her whole chest. It eased her breathing. Made it easier for her to drift off. Tikki curled into a ball on Marinette's stomach. This had to make her stronger. Tikki was going to be by her side to make sure of that.

Meanwhile Adrien was searching the school in hopes of finding Marinette. Ladybug's bravery had inspired him. He had to tell Marinette he loved her. And since she loved Adrien, there was no point in becoming Chat Noir to find her.

"this is a stupid idea," Plagg complained.

"She loves Adrien, she can have Adrien. I'll just have to find a way to show her my real side later," Adrien said.

"your real side being Chat Noir? The boy she spends every Thursday night with? And now she can magically talk around Adrien, after spending time with Chat, and you think there's no connection?" Plagg asked.

"there's Alya! She'll know where Mari is!" Adrien grinned.

Plagg sighed. "Kid you're so dense you make cheese look see through."

Adrien hid Plagg in his pocket and strode over to where Alya was sitting alone on a bench. As he got closer though, he realised that she didn't have her usual spark in her today. He frowned to himself. He didn't like seeing her sad.

"Hey," he said.

Alya looked up. Her shoulders sagged when she realised it was him. "Hey..."

Adrien moved to sit down beside her. She budged up to let him. "Are you ok Alya?"

"Yeah..."

"What's wrong?"

Alya lifted her head to try and argue that she was absolutely fine, and there was no way that she needed him to continue talking to her, because there was nothing that was upsetting her, but she couldn't. The way his huge green eyes waited patiently for information, eager to help, meant she couldn't lie to him. She leaned back against the back of the bench, and sighed.

"Marinette has a crush on someone I don't approve of."

"Really?"

Adrien frowned. His heart sank. Alya was the best friend of the girl he loved, and girlfriend of his own best friend. She meant so much to him, and she didn't approve of him?

Alya wouldn't look him in the eye as she said, "It sounds really ridiculous, but I wish she would go back to her last crush. We put a lot of effort into that one, and they would have been so cute together..."

Adrien felt his voice sink with disappointment. "Really?"

"It's not his fault, I'm sure he's a good guy, but I just... I'm worried about her. Chat Noir could be hurt or killed when fighting, and she'd be heartbroken. Or he could be revealed, and he could be someone she hates. No, he couldn't. Unless he's actually Chloe!" Alya gave a soft laugh.

Adrien's head snapped up, his eyes like saucers, his mouth dropped open, gobsmacked twice in one day. Breathlessly, he muttered, "That seems unlikely."

Alya groaned and rubbed her eyes in frustration, "She doesn't know him. He could be anyone. And I'm worried about Chat too!"

Adrien reeled back. What did she have to worry about Chat for? He wasn't sure if he was touched or confused.

"You are?"

"Yes!" Alya stressed, "He's so important to Paris, and she had no idea what she's doing!"

Adrien tilted his head. He had no idea what she was going to say. Alya knew Marinette better than anyone, he wanted to know what she had to say. Like I said, she was important to him.

"I love that girl, but she's reckless. She doesn't think before she acts most of the time. She could get herself in danger trying to defend him, and he'll have to put himself into danger to save her! That's not fair to him, or Ladybug, or anyone who he has to save."

Adrien bowed his head. "No..."

Alya continued, suddenly grateful to have someone listening to her complaints, "And if they stay together, and she wants to go abroad with him, and Paris gets attacked while they're gone, Ladybug won't have back up. Anything could happen! She could get hurt! Paris could hate Chat Noir afterwards, and it'd be her fault!"

"I hadn't thought of that," Adrien confessed.

"If they break up, and he's heartbroken, what if he gets akumatized? What'll Ladybug do if she has to fight Chat? Marinette could cause so many problems for him. For Paris. I know she loves him, I understand that, but at what cost?"

Alya heaved a heavy sigh and collapsed back against the bench again with a hand over her eyebrows, rubbing her head as if it could get rid of her headache. Adrien cleared his throat. This was his cue to offer words of wisdom, to ease her fear. His head was full of tangled Christmas lights, and it was time to unknot them.

"Um... I don't think you have a lot to worry about. Marinette is a smart girl. She'll understand where his responsibilities lie, and I don't think she'll try to stop him. I mean you've been to every single one of those akuma attacks right, and how often is Marinette around?"

"Almost never. She's probably the only girl in Paris never to have met Ladybug."

Just like Adrien was the only boy in Paris, never to have met Chat Noir. Alya was a journalist. She picked up on those things. Adrien was denser than cheese. He didn't notice her picking up on clues he left. He didn't notice the clues he left!

"Right. So I don't think she'll be getting in the way just to save him again any time soon. And I know Chat Noir pretty well, I don't think he'd let her prove him wrong," he said, carefully.

She raised an eyebrow. "You know him well?"

"I do. And I know her. So I know if she loves him, really loves him, and if he loves her back, they can work it all out. I'm sure they can. Love is about compromise. Chat Noir and Marinette could be perfect for each other if they remember that," he said, seriously.

Alya felt some of her nerves ease at the idea that Adrien was Chat Noir. It certainly made things easier. "Yeah. You're right. Marinette is smart. She uses her head alongside her heart. If she fell for Chat Noir there had to be a good reason for it. Thank you, Adrien."

"No, thank you," he smiled.

She frowned. "I didn't do anything."

"On Marinette's behalf. Thanks," he said.

Alya groaned. "Oh, why couldn't she have stayed in love with you?"

Adrien chuckled to himself. Under his breath he muttered, "Maybe she did."

Alya was fairly convinced she was going down the right path now, but she still needed more evidence. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the path she had created for herself to try and get that evidence, even less so now she was facing Adrien, but it was all she had. Underhand, but all she had.

"Wanna hear something dumb?" She asked.

Adrien shrugged. "Sure."

She took a deep breath. "I'm not proud of it, but I followed them into battle today hoping Chat Noir and Ladybug would get as close as they did."

Adrien looked confused. "Why?"

"Because with a little photoshop, I could make this."

Alya held out her phone. She winced at he took it from her hand. If he was Chat Noir, things were about to get uncomfortable.
Adrien looked down at the picture Alya, one of his dearest friends, was showing him. His jaw dropped. Fear took over his gut. The picture showed, quiet clearly, Ladybug and Chat Noir, kissing. He stared at her in horror. The repercussions if Marinette saw this didn't bear thinking about.

"You photoshop them into a relationship?! Why?!" He cried.

"I told you! I didn't want Marinette to date him!" She argued.

"So, you sabotaged your best friends crush?!" He fumed.

"I told you I wasn't proud of it!" She snatched her phone back and pushed it into her pocket. Guilt was crushing her shoulders. "Everyone knows Chat loves Ladybug. I thought if I could show Marinette that he loved someone else she would move on!"

Adrien's horrified expression deepened. "You didn't?!"

If she sent that picture to Marinette he was done for. She would be heartbroken, she wouldn't forgive him, she wouldn't believe it was fake because she wouldn't believe Alya would lie to her, and they would never end up together, and Adrien would die alone and heartbroken. He stared at Alya, desperately hoping she would tell him this was all some horrible joke. Alya just hung her head.

"I couldn't. I wanted to, but I couldn't. She'd be heartbroken, and I can't do that to her," she said.

Adrien tried to hide the sigh of relief he heaved, but Alya picked up on it.

"Don't show Marinette. Please," he said, urgently.

"What does it matter to you?" She asked.

Adrien gave a frustrated shrug because he couldn't tell her the truth and it bothered him.

"She's my friend! I want her to be happy."

Alya raised an eyebrow. "Is that it?"

"Yes. She's important to me. I want her to be happy... If Chat Noir makes her happy, then good. She deserves it. She's wonderful and generous, and far better than Chat Noir could ever be, so... yeah... Let her be happy," Adrien shrugged.

He wasn't sure how to feel anymore. Marinette had fallen out of love with Adrien to fall in love with Chat Noir. He should be pleased. But he wasn't... he couldn't figure out why.

"But Chat Noir loves Ladybug," Alya said, softly.

"No he doesn't! Um, I mean, probably doesn't. Otherwise she would know, right?" Adrien bit his lip as Plagg face palmed in his pocket.

"Right..." Alya said, slowly.

The gorilla cleared his throat. "Adrien."

Adrien glanced over at him. He didn't want this. He didn't want to leave yet. He had to make sure Alya wasn't going to ruin this. He was desperate. But he couldn't tell her why, so he had to go. He stood up reluctantly.

"I gotta go. Alya, seriously, please don't show her that. For my - um, his sake. Please."

He hesitated to leave until she nodded. Not that she had any plans of showing that picture to anyone other than Adrien. Enough time stuck on that roof top, thinking about who the cool cat was behind the mask made her realise a few thinks. A few too many coincidences between Adrien and Chat. She brought the idea up to Marinette before, who protested it because Adrien was "too perfect". Now, however, it might be time to bring it up again. Alya watched as Adrien climbed into the back of the car, and drove off down the street. She let out an evil laugh.

"Found you kitty."