A/N: before i start, i just want to say THANK YOU (again) SO MUCH FOR 20K! All of the Ladyblog appreciates it so much, especially me, Gela! I can't believe this actually happened omg someone pinch me 😭

anyways, in celebration for 20k, how about a less emotional chapter? well, i won't say it's purely not emotional, there would still be some feels because that's like, the main purpose of this story. im so evil, i know.

Plus, I want the story to go as planned, and at first I didn't plan any funny scenes at all so I'll just try to put funny scenes in anyway I can.

anyways, thank you so much! ✨

Chapter Four

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The smell of freshly baked croissants and cupcakes filled Marinette's room once her mother, Sabine, opened the trapdoor to her room.

"Marinette, it's time for breakfast," her mother's soothing voice said, "Wakey wakey."

Marinette groaned, feeling exhausted and lazy. Waking up early has never been her thing, especially with what happened recently. The guilt and regret never left her heart, and somehow it just gets worse every time she thinks about it.

"Okay, mama," Marinette replied, "I'll be downstairs soon."

At the sound of her trapdoor closing, she rolled out of her bed and walked to the balcony to get some fresh air and relax for a little bit. And just as when she thought that she can finally go downstairs with her usual, bubbly self, a certain cat arrived, clumsily landing beside her.

"Good morning, Princess," Chat Noir greeted, his voice unusually husky and tired. Marinette blushed at the sound but shook it off immediately.

"Just woke up?" she asked, trying to cover the worry and the guilt in her voice.

The black cat stood up and studied his princess for a moment. Her hair wasn't in their usual pigtails; they fell softly on her shoulders and is messy. She looked tired, but her blue eyes say otherwise. They were as striking as ever. Her lips were pale and her cheeks weren't in their usual rosy color. There was a small drool stain at the right side of her lip. For Marinette, she probably looked awful at the moment.

Chat Noir thought she looked beautiful.

"Yes," he breathed, fascinated by the girl infront of him. He almost forgot about the stunning Ladybug who broke his heart.

Marinette gave him a smile, making the cat's heart flutter.

"I heard you went to school yesterday. Are you okay? Is your cold gone?" Chat asked, concern written all over his face. Marinette felt like she wanted to dig a hole and die in there. Just how selfless is this cat, to ask if she is okay, even though when he, himself, has a heart shattered to pieces?

A tear escaped the ravenette's eye and she quickly wiped it away before Chat could see it, "Yes. I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me."

Chat looked unconvinced, but nodded his head and turned to look at the city.

She bit her lip, nervous.

"Chat," she called, "How about you? Are . . . are you okay?"

His ears drooped down the moment Marinette asked the question. He wasn't okay. He never was.

"She hates me," He mumbled loud enough for Marinette to hear, "Ladybug hates me. She called me useless. Unlucky. Those things she called me, they're true, aren't they?"

His eyes immediately turned to her blue ones. Chat's eyes looked so intimidating, yet so soft and vulnerable. Marinette took the pain in his eyes as a thousand slap to her face.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it," she replies, looking away. "I mean, I've seen you guys fight against the akuma together. I know how special you are to her. Maybe she was just so stressed, and so scared."

Chat shook his head and began to cry.

Don't cry, he thought to himself, Don't cry. Don't cry. You'll make Mari worry. You're okay. Don't cry.

But thinking about that just makes him cry even more. He looked so weak. So broken. So helpless.

Marinette rushed toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he knelt down, his knees wobbly and weak. He wraps his strong arms around the girl's waist and cried.

Marinette bit her lip to prevent herself from crying.

You fool, she told herself, This is all your fault.

"Hey," Marinette whispered softly, her right hand going up to his hair as she gently caress his hair, "I've seen the way she looks at you. She doesn't like it when you hurt yourself. It hurts her too. So, please, Chat. Don't cry. Please."

All the pain Chat felt has been replaced with guilt when she heard her voice crack. He's been hurting his princess, too.

The cat stood up, wiped his tears, and cupped Marinette's cheeks, looking into her eyes. He was drawn into those blue orbs, and when they usually looked striking, they looked soft and clear. He gave her a sad smile and her heart skipped a beat.

She placed her right hand over his, closing her eyes and feeling the warmth of his palm. What if she didn't reject Chat Noir? Will she know who he is? Will they reveal their secret identities? Will they go on dates, without the mask?

Will she actually learn to love him?

Chat leaned forward, and, slowly, his lips lands on Marinette's forehead.

"I'm sorry, Princess," were the last things he said before he fled.

—∞—

"Good morning, Mari!" the bubbly Rose greeted Marinette with the biggest, sweetest smile she could ever give, hoping to cheer the girl up. She noticed that Marinette has been down lately, and she wanted to lift her friend's spirits up for a little while.

Marinette, knowing the blonde girl's intentions, smiled. "Good morning, Rose."

"The weather is nice today, don't you think?"

Marinette laughed, feeling moved that Rose was trying really hard to make her happy.

"Yes, yes it is. Have you seen Alya?"

Rose nodded, her eyes sparkling as she felt happy to see Marinette laugh. At least she made her laugh. "Yes, I saw her in the room. Bye!"

"Bye," Marinette waved her hand as Rose skipped to her best friend, Juleka.

As Marinette was walking to her room, a blonde boy ran up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, gasping for hair. The ravenette looked shocked when she realized it was her crush, Adrien. Her heart began to pound harder against her ribcage, she thought that it'll break into half.

Adrien, still gasping for air, looked up and smiled brightly at her. "Beautiful morning, isn't it, Mari?" he asks cheerfully, beads of sweat dripping on on his forehead to his chin.

"Y-yes!" Oh my goodness he looks so sexy why is he sweating omg omg omg STAHP.

The thought of her accidentally touching his abs yesterday made her face flush even more and made her heart feel like it was going to explode any second now.

"Your abs are nice! I mean, sexy! I mean, n-no. N-not that they're n-not s-s-smokin' but . . . but . . . uh, g-good morning, abs! I-I mean, Adrien! Haha, what's an ab anyway? Right?"

Marinette felt like she wanted to wrestle with a wrestler and die.

Adrien laughed, remembering what she accidentally did yesterday vividly.

"Right," he continued to laugh, immediately enjoying the company of Marinette. He has always been so comfortable with Marinette as Chat, and he decided to be comfortable with her as Adrien, too.

"Let's walk together?" Adrien suggested, which brought a huge, goofy smile on Marinette's face.

"S-Sure!"

Adrien felt satisfied that he made her smile. After all, she looked gloomy yesterday until now. For some reason, he wanted to keep that smile on her face everyday.

—∞—

"Everybody, go! Now!" Ladybug yelled at the students, pointing to the fire exit. They immediately obeyed and quickly headed towards the fire exit. Some of them were crying, some were screaming, and some were just completely calm.

The akuma was different. She was actually killing people mercilessly.

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir called, running to the superheroine. She felt a pang of pain in her chest when she realized he called her Ladybug, and not my lady. Although she shouldn't have noticed such tiny detail, she did. And it hurt.

"Sorry I'm late," he breathes, his eyes wild. "I was looking for a certain person to make sure she's safe. I haven't seen her."

He ran his fingers through his messy, blonde hair, his green cat eyes wildly looking at every place possible, desperately searching for this person. Ladybug frowned and felt the urge to ask him who this person was. But who was she to ask him?

"Marinette," he whispered, looking frantic, "Where on earth are you?"

Ladybug's heart skipped a beat when she realized he was looking for her. Chat Noir was looking for her. He was worried for her safety.

This brought a smile to Ladybug's face, but she immediately slapped herself to stop smiling, causing the cat to look at her with a confused look o his face.

"Um," she started, not being able to look at him in the eye, "She's safe. I saw her with the people getting to the fire exit."

Chat Noir's wild eyes turned soft and relaxed as a relieved smile formed on his charming face. "Thank goodness. Thank you."

Ladybug nodded, "No problem. Now let's find a way to defeat this akuma. She's dangerous."

Chat nods in agreement. He badly wants to help Ladybug come up with a plan to defeat the akuma, but he couldn't get the ravenette off his mind. Even though Ladybug assured him of her safety, he still couldn't stop worrying about his princess. What on earth was she doing to him? He couldn't stop thinking about her.

A loud explosion surprised the heroes.

"Ladybug! Where are you?" a high pitched voice echoed throughout the empty school. "Ladybug! You little annoying pest! Where are you? Are you scared?"

Another explosion followed. This time, it was nearer.

Chat looked at his lady, who was standing tall and didn't look scared at all. But her beautiful blue eyes that captures his heart every single time says otherwise. Her lips were shivering in fear, knowing that the akuma was after her for some reason.

Chat stepped forward to comfort her. He hesitated to put his hand on her shoulder, but he did anyways. She looked into his eyes and he immediately knew that she was afraid. The most dangerous akuma so far was only after her, and could kill her in a single blow.

"Lady—"

"There you are," they both turned around to see the akuma, who was covered in the intimidating color of midnight black. Literally. Her face, skin, lips, everywhere that was a part of her body was covered in black. Her eyes, however, had the color of bloody red, which matched her destructive and violent way of being an akuma. Her hair was slicked back and long, reaching her waist.

She gives them a smile that sent chills down the spines of the heroes.

"Pest," she hisses and threw a dark red ball. Ladybug immediately ran infront of Chat and swung her yoyo, blocking the explosion. But it was too strong. The impact sent her flying all the way towards the other side of the school, her back slamming against the brick wall as she lets out an ear piercing scream of pain.

Chat was horrified as he saw his lady drop down to the ground, landing on the floor, weak, and probably lifeless.

"Ladybug!" he yelped as his heart ached. He badly wanted to call her my lady, but he felt as though he wasn't supposed to call her that.

"Aw poor kitty," Bomber, the akumatized person, laughed humorlessly, "Does it hurt you to see your wittle buggy wuggy scream in pain?"

Chat felt his blood boil as he gritted his teeth and gripped on his baton. He wanted to run to her, but he couldn't; another bomb would be thrown to him behind his back. How dare she hurt his lady.

"I heard that you're in love with her," Bomber says, feigning pity, "Man, it must have hurt! Why would she love someone like you? You're nothing but a piece of trash to her."

These words pierced his heart, knowing that it's true. He was nothing compared to Ladybug. He was just a sidekick. It was so foolish of him to fall for someone out of his league. He knew Ladybug well enough that she wouldn't stoop down so low to reach his level. Why did he ever think that she would have romantic feelings for him?

"Poor, poor, kitty," Bomber takes a few steps forward, feeling a hint of victory when she saw the hero's ears droop down in sadness. He finally let his guard down. "I know how you feel. Everyone compares me to Ladybug. Even so, I worshipped the ground she walks on. But it seems I can't receive her affection."

The pain in his chest clouded his actions. His grip on his baton loosened, and Bomber took this as a chance to finally strike.

She threw another dark red ball upward, and it turned into a huge net. It dropped down, trapping Chat Noir in the process. It began to tighten around him, making it harder for him to move. He screamed in pain as the net was thick and rough, and gave him deep cuts around his body.

"You pathetic little fool," Bomber hissed, "You thought she would love you? You? You're nothing!"

He didn't know what was more painful; the net tightening around him as it was beginning to get harder to breathe and the deep cuts it was giving him, or the fact that he was being slapped into the reality that Ladybug was never going to be in love with him. His whole body was beginning to get covered in his own blood. He continued to scream as tears began streaming down his face.

"Worthless! That's what you are."

Chat's screams of pain got louder as the net got tighter. He was now curled into a ball, afraid. He wasn't afraid of dying. He was just going to be replaced, anyway. With a much, much better Chat Noir, that's for sure.

He was afraid of hurting his lady.

He was afraid that when he was finally gone, she would cry. Out of guilt. She would cry because she lost a friend.

Even though she rejected him, he was still so madly in love with her. The way she spits out a witty come back from every pun he makes. The way she laughs. The way her eyes sparkle when they finish fighting the akuma. The way she smiles. The way she playfully rolls her eyes with a small smile everytime he kisses her hand. The way her dazzling blue eyes look like under the light of the moon.

He was still so in love with her, despite all the pain. He loves every single bit of her.

The net continued to tighten, and the pain got worse. Every inch of his body was numb. He wasn't screaming anymore. He wanted to die with a smile on his face.

"My kitty is not worthless," a familiar voice says. Even though this person shattered his heart into a million pieces, her voice was still so lovely for him to hear. "He is not trash."

He had no idea what was happening, but the net stopped tightening around him. However, the pain was still there.

Despite the blurriness of his eyes, he saw the familiar pattern of black and red standing infront of him.

"My Chat Noir," she paused, "He is . . ."

Before he could hear what she would say, the black cat's vision turned black.

A/N:

hi. i love you.

and i accidentally published the unfinished version of this chapter lol oops

did anyone read it? bc im sure i deleted it right away after realizing i published it lololololol

sayonara with sparkles and rainbows,

Gela ✨