Marinette's POV

I stood in complete horror at the sight of him being up here. I knew I was most likely going to find him up here because of the map, but I was expecting to see his alter ego.

However, seeing Adrien did not make my anger wash away. In fact, it made me even more angry.

He was the one who started it all.

He didn't notice me yet because he was too busy setting up the dinner table he had prepared. My eyes softened for just a second as I admired the scene. It was beautiful. There was a small table in the center with table cloth draped over it, and candles lined along the edges of the tower. There were rose petals spread across the ground.

But, I shook that emotion away from my head and replaced it with anger. What the heck did he think he was doing?

"What is going on?" I decided to make my presence known to him, and the blonde was immediately startled by the company.

Turning around quickly, his eyes met mine in a heartbeat and I watched as they widened. "W-What?" He stammered out, his eyes shifting between mine and the space around us. "Why are y-you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked sarcastically, reaching into the bag on my hip to pull out the large map I had stuffed inside. "I was following your stupid map here."

Adrien looked so confused. "But I still had time. You shouldn't be here yet."

I scoffed and tossed the large piece of paper I was holding to the ground. For emphasis, I stomped on it with my foot. "I shouldn't be here at all!" I growled, glaring at him indifferently. "Why do you keep on making me feel worse? What is it that you hate so much about me?!"

"I don't hate you at all, Mairnette!" Adrien exclaimed and defended himself as he took a step closer to me, but I stepped back.

"Do you really think I believe you?" I replied with a sarcastic tone in my voice. "Please Adrien, you can't fool me anymore. I'm done with your lies."

"I'm not lying this time!" Adrien defended himself. "I just wish you would let me explain!"

"Explain what?!" I spat, "There is nothing to explain! You've already said you don't return my feelings. What more do you want?"

"I want you to listen to me." Adrien took another step closer to me, and gripped my shoulders to keep me in place.

"Let me go," I growled at him, but he simply shook his head.

"Let me explain myself," Adrien was practically begging me now as he still held me by my shoulders. "Please?"

I sighed in frustration, and my eyes landed on the table with our dinner he had prepared behind him. I really didn't want to listen to anything else he had to say, but if Tikki was here, I'm sure she would want me to listen to him.

"Fine," I growled out, finally prying his hands off of my shoulders. "Make it quick."

He sighed in relief, and rubbed his hands together to keep them from freezing in the cold. "Thank you. Would you want to sit?" He asked, gesturing to the table behind us.

"I prefer not," I said, crossing my arms, but then I sighed, remembering that Tikki would probably want me too do that also. "But, I know someone who would want me to."

A grin formed on his lips. "In other words, me?"

"Shut up," I snapped at him. "I'm not talking about you. Stop being so cocky."

He was a little surprised by me snapping at him, but he quickly recovered and pulled out my seat. I sat down, not uttering a word, and he took his seat across from me.

"Okay look," Adrien began, crossing his hands on the table. Staring into my eyes carefully, I could almost see the fear in them. "I know you probably don't want to hear me say sorry... even though I truly am. I didn't want to hurt you, Mairnette."

I scoffed at that, and a light chuckle left my lips. "Please. You hurt me twice."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know. And I really am sorry. I was afraid of telling you I was Chat Noir. I was hoping I could still be your friend, and since you wanted nothing to do with Adrien, it was the only thing I knew to do."

"Why did you kiss me as Chat Noir then?" I frowned at him and kept my arms crossed. I leaned back in my chair and raised an eyebrow at him, awaiting for my answer.

"There is only one reason why a man kisses a woman," he paused, before adding, "Because he loves her."

"Oh, shut up," I immediately stood to my feet, glaring down at him. "Do you really expect to to believe that? You're lying! You're freaking lying!"

He stood too. "I am not!" He defended, "I really do love you!"

"Oh really?" I laughed sarcastically, the tears were at the brim of my eyes, ready to spill out. "If you really loved me, you wouldn't have denied my feelings and admitted you loved someone else!"

"That someone else I love is you!" Adrien shouted, and the anger in my face quickly morphed into confusion upon hearing his words.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. All of a sudden, I fell very uncomfortable in this situation. Fear suddenly surged throughout my entire body. I didn't understand what he meant.

He sighed again, "Mairnette, the girl I'm in love with, that I rejected you for, is Ladybug."

My eyes widened, but then I just furrowed my brows in confusion. But how could he say he's loved me all this time if he just admitted in loving Ladybug? That would have to mean that...

I suddenly gasped in realization and looked back up to meet Adrien's eyes. He was staring back at me with a knowing smile. He shrugged his shoulders at me when he knew I had figured it out.

"H-How did you find out?" I was all of a sudden very afraid, now that I knew Adrien knew I was Ladybug. What was he thinking this whole time knowing I was Ladybug?

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was going to go to your house as Chat Noir, and to make sure you were okay. But, I accidentally saw you and your kwami talking with each other."

I couldn't believe everything I was hearing, yet Adrien still had more to say, "I realized a while back how everything I did was so wrong. I caused you to get akumatized, I tricked you as Chat Noir, and I even made you come on this stupid treasure hunt. Instead of making you search for clues, I should've just came forward and told you the truth."

"You said you love Ladybug?" I asked, my bottom lip beginning to quiver.

"Yeah?" He replied, clearly confused by my question and my ignorance to his speech.

"I'm not Ladybug," I sighed, my blue eyes all of a sudden finding the ground to be very interesting. "I am nothing like her. Ladybug is just what I use to hide behind."

"That's not true," Adrien reached out to me to grab both of my hands. "You two are so alike."

"No, we're not," I pulled my hands out of his and took a step back. "Ladybug is the complete opposite of me. She's brave, smart... unique. No wonder she catches the eyes of all."

"But Marinette—" Adrien tried to step around the table and reach out to me, but I stepped away from him again.

I cut off his sentence by adding, "You're now only interested in me, because you know I am Ladybug. The one you rejected me for."

_______________________________

"We make mistakes because imperfection exists."

^^pure knowledge and wisdom right there

Saddening, I know. Don't worry this is not the last chapter.

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