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Chapter Text

The bluenette entered the class just as the bell was about to ring. She was almost late again, the difference is, this time she wasn't late to her first class, it was the second already. She managed to drag her feet to her desk, completely unaware of her surroundings, praying that maybe today she will have less to worry about. 'Please let today be a normal day, without any akumatizations or bakery overwork. I still have to finish decoding the grimoire to restore all the miraculouses and also patrol.'

In front of her was a blond, who she once was madly in love with, too busy researching something on his tablet to notice her tardiness. 'I think this is it! M'lady will for sure love this gift! Maybe this way she will at least give me the time of day. Now the question is, how do I get Nathalie to buy it, without giving myself away?'

Behind her was another blond, only this one couldn't think about anything else beside her existence. 'It's only Wednesday and she managed to check three out of three already. I know saving Paris is tiring, but why is she so exhausted nowadays? And why doesn't Adrien notice Ladybug's worries either?'

Each one was focused on the same person, but from a different perspective. The blonds were focused on different versions of her, while she was focused on her duty.

Chat Noir couldn't understand why Ladybug was so different after the defeat of the old villain. Yes, Chrysalis was stronger, but it was still considered a win for them. At least for Paris, as he had lost his father in the process. He dismissed it on her being mad at him for missing the final battle, but she had no way of knowing that the boy, who she visited in a locked cellar right after the battle, was also the one who should've fought alongside her. A gift should lift her spirits a bit and maybe make her forgive him, it always worked on him when his father did that.

Felix couldn't understand what's making Marinette so exhausted. He knew being a superhero was a full time job, but besides an akumatization once every two or three days, there was no reason for her to lose sleep so often. He knew she needed a lot of rest to process what happened. Finding out that HawkMoth was also the father of her beloved friend must make her feel awful, and hiding it must be a torture. He couldn't understand her motifs, but he could respect them, so he chose to respect her wishes and kept the truth to himself. Though, he knew he had to confront her one of these days, as one of her best friends, her health concerns him.

Marinette had too many things on her mind, or at least she should have. But instead she chose to ignore the ones who weight the heaviest by burying herself in work. Meaning that she was now working on repairing all the miraculouses that Gabriel modified into rings. She has to find the perfect way to do it, without hurting the kwamis or ruin the miraculouses further. At least decoding and understanding the grimoire should be enough work to keep her mind off the whole 'One of my best friends' father was HawkMoth and I lied to everyone to protect him, oh and he's also a senti-being created by his mother who was hidden in the basement.' Plus the new remastered nightmares about Chat Blanc that appeared due to stress.

The bell rang announcing the end of the third period, waking Marinette up in the process. Her sleepiness wasn't anything new, but it still worried Alya.

"Girl, you seriously look too tired! Maybe you should leave the 'work' aside for a bit and rest." she said concerned while placing her hand over Marinette's as a sign of encouragement. "You know I'm here if you need to talk to someone about 'those things'. I'm pretty sure that what's troubling you is related to that."

Marinette was grateful for having a friend like her, at least she was before all this, now it was just one more task she called 'Calm Alya down again' "I'm fine, don't worry about me, just had a little bit too much work at the bakery. Thanks for caring about me!" she struggled to muster a smile, but she wasn't quite confident she could.

Standing behind her, Felix caught some of Alya's words. 'If she's worried too, then it must be as bad as I think.'  so he proceeded to approach the girl's desk, clearing his throat before speaking "Marinette, we have to talk!" He said as he was checking the redhead's expression, while the bluenette slowly turned around. There was no sign of the sour expression that she would normally have when they interacted. Alya was a bit annoyed by Marinette's new bestfriend, and it looked like she disliked him a ton, better said hated him, but if she's now looking at him with such hope and unspoken pleads, that means he has to do something.

"What's wrong Felix? Did something happen?" seeing his face, Marinette's anxiety level skyrocketed again. Usually she wouldn't find any problem in speaking with her relatively new close friend, but now, as she's aware that he knows the truth about the situation, he's more like a walking ticking bomb, capable of exposing her lies anytime. 'Please not about him, please!'

"Well, as the classroom is already empty, I'll leave you two to talk here. See you at the canteen, Mari!" Alya quickly packed her belongings, hoping the talk might be useful. 'If she doesn't want to talk to me, then maybe he can make her talk, his ambition isn't that easy to defeat.'

After the door closed behind the redhead, Felix started speaking. "What's going on?" he could see the worry in her eyes, no matter how many times he told her that he respects her decision, she's still scared of him spilling the truth. "And no, before you ask, I'm not going to do that, calm down." 'Telling her last week that I know her secret turned out to be a big mistake.'

The bluenette took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. It's not like she doesn't trust him, nowadays she doesn't even trust herself to keep up with all the lies, so of course she's worried. "What do you mean? I'm doing just fine!" If the smile she gave Alya was hard to fake, this one was even worse. 'I don't even have the energy to act anymore...'

"Fine? FINE?!" he huffed while crossing his arms "Marinette, it's clear you didn't sleep, again, those are the clothes you were wearing yesterday when you went to the shop to buy cigarettes, again, and you ignored all of my calls, again! It's the eleventh time we have this talk, I thought you would already know what I mean!" he tried his best to contain his anger, but the way she just plays dumb even when she's fully aware that she's destroying herself, angers him deeply. 'It would be fine if you just didn't want to talk with me, but it's clear that it's not what's actually going on...'

Marinette sighed before replying "Look Felix, I still don't know how you keep finding out when I go to buy cigarettes, but all of these don't concern you, I'm doing just fine. I'm sorry I didn't answer the phone, I was a bit busy yesterday." 'Busy forgetting everything I can about my life...' she turns to her desk, to start packing her things, but two hands grab her by the shoulders, returning her face to face with the blond.

"First of all, you reek of smoke. Second, it concerns me if one of my friends is destroying herself. And third" he leans forward a bit to get closer to her face "those bags don't say 'a bit busy' they say you didn't sleep all nig-"

The door opens revealing Adrien who looked like he was lost in his thoughts, but as soon as his eyes fell on them his mind emptied "A-am I interrupting something?" The shock wasn't just from seeing the two so close to each other, but also from a weird feeling in his chest that felt a lot like 'Jealousy? There's no way, Marinette is just a friend!'

Marinette released herself from Felix's grip, quickly packing her belongings while speaking "N-no, what could you interrupt! We were just having a chat. But now I have to go, Alya must be waiting!" and as soon as she finished she bolted out the door. 'Out of all the people who could enter the room right then, why him? I mean, I'm thankful he got me out of that conversation, but what if leaving him with Felix might turn into a bigger mess?'

The cousins stared at each other for a bit, shocked by Marinette's quick disappearance, before Felix took the initiative to speak "There's nothing going on between us." 'Even though I wish it was, but it seems she only has eyes for you...' "I was just concerned about her."

"Did something happen to Marinette?!" Adrien's shock turned into concern for his friend. 'She was there for me when I was still hurting about losing father, am I a bad friend for not checking up on her now?'

'Wow cuz, I didn't know you were this blind!' Felix huffed before replying "If you weren't that lost in your thoughts lately, you might've seen that she's constantly late to class and on the verge of falling asleep on her feet!" he then took a deep breath 'There's no use getting mad at him, I have to calm down' "I think she may be overworking herself a bit, so I wanted to ask her if she needed help with anything."

The answer left Adrien speechless for a bit, but then he smiled "I didn't know you cared about her that much, Fe! You're a good friend! If you find out that she needs help with something, let me know, I want to help her too!"

"There's no need, I've got it covered. Now excuse me, but I don't want to lose the entire lunch here." Felix excused himself and left, knowing that if he continued the conversation Adrien's obliviousness would annoy him to the max. 'Now I need to find another time to talk to her! Thanks cuz!'

"Another pack?" a voice came from behind her, just as soon as Marinette left the shop.

She turned around to find Felix right behind her. "What do you want Felix? I have a lot of work to do." she took a deep breath as too calm herself down, trying her best to push her thoughts in the back of her mind 'And a lot of things to ignore.'

"The only work you will do is tell me what's wrong. I'm not asking this time Marinette, this has to end. I want to help you and for that I need answers." he approached her to whisper into her ear "Even superheroes need help sometimes."

"I don't need any help! I said I'm fine!" Marinette yelled pushing him away, while her eyes got filled with tears. She opened the pack of cigarettes and lit one. As soon as the smoke reached her lungs she felt better, the knot in her chest started to disappear and the tears dried. 'The only help I need is this, they help me forget.'

Felix just watched her quietly. 'So that's what she's doing...She's finding comfort in cigarettes and they help her calm down, while destroying her lungs.' He huffed before reaching for the cigar in her mouth, throwing it to the ground then stepping on it. "Not on my watch, you're not doing this. You need help and I can help you, I want to actually. So better start talking with me" he saw her defiant look while she reached for another cigarette "and don't you dare lit another. I don't want to blackmail you into telling me what's wrong but I will do that if you don't talk by yourself." He had no intention to scare her, but he just couldn't bear watch her waste away like that.

Marinette's eyes widened, a bit slower than usual, another sign of concern, as she processed her words. "Don't you dare do that! You said you respect my decision!" she turned to him completely trying to keep a strong facade, while on the inside she was panicking. 'There's no way he would tell him right? But what if he does?! I can't risk it...' she sighed giving up, she couldn't take the risk "What is it that you want Felix?"

He knew her too well, there was no need to actually blackmail her. He didn't want to do things like this though, but a month of watching her from afar, as she's destroying herself, is enough. "What's going on with you? You're always late and tired. You lost a couple of kilograms and you're much slower than usual, with everything. What's wrong Marinette?" he tried to keep an expressionless face, but still his voice was full of concern. 'I don't like others seeing that I care, but if I must do it to help you then I will.'

"I have a lot of work to do, that's what." she lied again. It was still somehow true, she had work to do, she could take it slower and not force herself this much, but if it's the only thing that helps her mentally then she'll dedicate herself to working 24/7.

"I don't buy that bullshit anymore, sweetheart." his mocking tone plus the eyeroll were the only things that helped him feel more like himself. He had the urge to hug the bluenette and tell her that he's willing to do anything to make her feel better if she just tells him what's wrong, but surely the change in attitude would be too much for her, even for him. "The truth Marinette, I want the truth."

'Well he just doesn't want to give up, does he? I...I guess I could tell him a bit about it, after all he's the only one who would really understand, but not here.' She sighed before grabbing his wrist. "Follow m-" she couldn't finish her words as an akuma alert interrupted her. Letting go of his wrist she spoke quickly "Oh well, looks like I have to leave, see ya!" then she ran away. There was a good side to that 'I never thought an akuma alert would come in helpful!'

Looking at her small figure disappearing into a dark alley he sighed 'Why is Chrysalis helping you escape me?'

"Oh Marinette, don't you worry! Everyone is dead so they won't find out your little secrets! You're safe with me! Now come out of your little hiding spot!" Chat Blanc's voice scared her as it sounded louder this time.

'He's getting closer! I have to run!' but as soon as she got out of the hiding spot she felt two hands clasping around her shoulders.

"Here you are, My lady! Glad to see you finally coming out for a talk! So, what do you say? Will you give the earrings on your own or shall I get them from you myself? Oh and don't worry, there's no one around to find out your identity, I took care of them all!" he chuckled like a maniac.

"No, let me go!" she struggled to try and get his hands off her "You can't take them!" she yelled as she felt one of his hands slowly rising to her ears.

"Why not Mari? There's no need to try and play the hero. Look around, you already failed! Just give in to me, we can rule this fallen land together!" Chat Blanc said as his fingers touched the earring carefully. "If I get this off I can finally see you detransforming with my own eyes!"

"Let me go!" Ladybug yelled again trying to push his hand away from her ear as her eyes filled with tears. 'I have to escape him, I can't let him take the miraculous!' She used all her power to try and take his other hand off her shoulder, but his grip was too strong. "Take your hand off! I'll never give you the miraculous! Let me go!"

Argos heard some muffled screams from the room under him. 'Shouldn't Marinette be asleep? What is she so annoyed with to start yelling at this hour?' He slowly jumped to her balcony to take a peek inside. 'I'm sorry to invade your privacy Mar-' but the scene in front of him put that thought at rest. Bellow the trapdoor, on her bed, Marinette was uncontrollably tossing and crying, while Tikki was trying to cover her mouth with her little hands and also wake her up.

"Shh, wake up Mari! It's just another nightmare! Wake up, please!" the kwami also had tears in her eyes, probably from seeing her holder go through such things, and from the way she said another, this surely wasn't the first time.

Argos quickly assed the situation and decided on intervening, so he opened the trapdoor. Seeing Tikki turn her head to him without any sign of shock made him assume she already knew about his ocasional visits to her rooftop. "What can I help with?"

"Help me wake her up, she doesn't want her parents to hear her and worry. This time it looks like she's trapped into the nightmare way too well as I can't wake her up." she said softly while her voice was full of sadness. 'They keep getting worse and even I can't help anymore...Will he be able to help her?' seeing as he tried to reach Marinette, the kwami stopped him "But first...can I please ask you something?"

"Go ahead, but do it fast, it pains me to see her like this." he replied in an instant, while forcing himself to wait and not hug the crying bluenette in front of him.

"Can you please help her? I know that's what you've been trying to do this whole time and she keeps refusing, but I can't stand seeing her like this anymore. Force her to tell you what's on her mind if need be, but please, please, help her..." she whispered the last part as her voice broke and a tear fell down her little face.

"I'll do my best!" he answered quickly without even properly understanding the words, waking Marinette up was his priority. 'Now...how should I proceed?' He shook her by the shoulders gently, but that seemed to only scare more, as she screamed 'No' once again. Then he softly caressed her hair as he started speaking. "Mari! Marinette! Wake up please, it's just a dream!" He tried that for another minute, but as it also didn't work and she kept tossing, he permitted himself to invade her privacy even more and raise her to his chest. He kept her there, caressing her back while speaking directly in her ear. "Wake up Marinette! There's nothing to be scared of! I'm here. Wake up, please!" as he kept saying that his hand started to pat her back, increasing the toughness every few seconds. All until she stopped shaking, probably waking up. What he didn't expect was her reaction, she instantly pushed herself away covering her ears.

"Let me g-" but her words died in her throat as she looked around at her surroundings. 'Chat Blanc isn't here...It was just a nightmare...I'm safe...But, what's he doing here?' she quickly wiped her face with her hands before looking him straight in the eyes "What are you doing here, Felix?"

'She...What got her so scared? She even pushed me away when she woke up, probably she didn't realize it's me, but the way she feared me...So that's what her kwami was talking about, she clearly needs some help.' He didn't know how to start the discussion without making her nervous, it seemed like right now she wasn't anxious around him and he didn't want to risk and ruin that, so he chose to start with his usual sarcasm. "Didn't Ladybug say that no one should call a hero by their real name while in their superhero form?"

"Oh shush, we're in my house, who else can hear me? Besides, that's not an answer to my question!" she eyed him a bit annoyed 'What's this boy doing here this late in the night? Doesn't he sleep? And how...how much did he hear?' she tried to look around for her kwami to maybe get some answers from her expression, but the little god was nowhere around.

Felix dropped the transformation knowing that the discussion incoming would better take place with her seeing a familiar face instead of an old enemy. "I heard you screaming and I thought I'd check up on you. As I saw that Tikki was unable to wake you up I took that upon me. And before you ask, yes, I was here to check how you're doing." he looked her in the eyes though his whole explanation but he dropped his gaze before he continued "You're not doing fine Marinette, stop lying and tell me the truth, please..." It was not like him to use the word please, but if it could help him find some answers then he'll use it.

"I'm...ok" Marinette replied looking away "I'm doing ok, I don't need you to check up on me, you know? I can handle mys-" her words got interrupted.

"No Marinette! You can't handle yourself and your recent behavior shows that!" the anger from seeing her lie again surfaced this time "I'm done watching from afar as you keep destroying yourself and keep suffering alone. I want answers and I want them now!" 'Maybe I should take Tikki's advice for good.' He thought about how to phrase a harmless threat about her secret, but when he looked at her he felt like he couldn't. The pain and terror that filled her eyes were now piercing though his heart. "Please, talk to me Mari..."

She sighed as she hugged herself 'I never thought he'd even check on me at my house, and he even chose the worst day to do so...' She knew she was caught in the act and that there was no way she could use the 'I'm fine' on him again, so she gave up. "Let's...let's go to the balcony. I don't want to wake my parents." 

Felix felt a bit of relief hearing her words 'So, that means I have a chance to make her talk.' But watching her take out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from under the pillow next to him made him angry again. "I thought you wanted to go out on the balcony for privacy, not for that." he watched her little addiction with disgust.

"Do you want me to talk or not?" she chose her words well, she knew that this way she could get away with smoking in his presence, but it meant that she has to tell him stuff relevant enough to be worth it. 'Time to make a careful decision.'

Chapter Text

As they got up to the balcony Marinette couldn't find a subject good enough to tell him about. So for a few minutes they just sat there, leaning on the railing, in silence, until she took out a cigarette and lit it up.

"I thought we agreed that if you smoke, you also talk." he spoke carefully, using all his will to stop himself from taking that cigarette away from her. 'That damn addiction is helping you destroy yourself even more and you're just fine with it?! How I wish I could help you more than that shit does.'

"We did, it's just that...I don't know where to start." 'And I don't even want to...' she took another puff looking away. 'The Eiffel Tower looks so great at night. Especially when everything is peaceful and quiet like now. If only my mind would be this quiet too.'

Seeing her lost in her thoughts made him take a moment and analyze her more. 'Her old sparkly eyes are usually replaced by those worried and tired ones, not tonight though...Where are that pain and terror I saw earlier coming from? At least now I have an idea about the source of those dark eyebags, but an idea isn't enough to find a way to get rid of them. And also her physique...don't her parents notice she lost so much weight? They're bakers, they should feed her tons! How comes she got this skinny?' He felt the anger rising again, so he chose to start the discussion himself in hope that he'd find answers sooner. "Why don't we start with the newly discovered problem, what's making you have nightmares? And that's the reason you get little to no sleep at all?"

Marinette's posture straightened when she heard the mention of her nightmares, but it wasn't a subject she could avoid, especially not now, after he found her like that. "An old akuma...And yes, that's the reason I avoid to sleep at night." she finished her cigarette and threw it away, debating on starting a new one, but the question she received made her freeze.

"Who was it? Adrien, Chat Noir or your parents?" Felix asked, knowing for sure it had to be someone important to her. No one else could make The Ladybug fear sleep, only her close ones.

"Haha...why-why would you think it's one of them four?!" she asked somewhat shocked. 'Is it that obvious or it's just that he knows me too well?'

'Those three actually' he thought to himself. "If it pains you that much, it means it's someone special...I know how it is." Felix replied looking away, he didn't like getting this personal, but Marinette was the only person in the world, besides his mother, that he deemed deserving of seeing that side of him.

"You...you're right..." 'What's there to lose...maybe he would understand me' she took in a deep breath before continuing "It was...Chat Noir, or better said Chat Blanc. He found out who I was and then...then he got akumatized...He destroyed the entire Paris, killing me and everyone else in the process." her eyes got filled with tears "He was so hurt and lonely...I tried to save him, but he prefered to fight me and try to steal my earrings instead." She stopped for a bit as the memories hit her in full force again and a tear fell down her cheek.

Hearing that his cousin actually got akumatized in his superhero form, following by him killing everyone, including her, in the process, left a bitter taste on Felix's tongue. 'So even he failed his duty once. She's the only one who didn't break...yet' Seeing the tear rolling down on her cheek made his heart break a little. He had to force himself to freeze in place to avoid reaching for her face to wipe it away, or even worse to hug her. But seeing that as she took out another cigarette his composure broke. "Let them down, Marinette. You just smoked one, you don't need another one this soon. You're human, it's normal to be hurt and cry. That dumb addiction isn't helping you, it's destroying you!" he said, his tone full of anger, as he tried to reach for the pack, but she saw him moving so she shielded it.

She quickly wiped her face before defending herself. "Hey, this isn't what we agreed on. So let me do my thing if you want me to continue." she waited for an answer, but seeing that he just huffed before leaning on the railing again, she took it as an agreement. She continued the talk while she lit another cigarette. "I made it in the end. I saved him and the world. But I knew that it would hurt him deeply to find out what happened...so I went back in time to erase that timeline. Somehow...it was related to a gift I gave Adrien, and that...that made everything even worse, knowing I could unconsciously drag him into all this...But hey, I fixed everything in the end, and no one remembers a thing, besides Bunnix." she finished with a sad smile, one that she presumed masked her sorrows well, but she underestimated Felix, he could always see right through her.

"And you" he added. 'So she had no clue it's related to Adrien because it's actually him, it just made her scared of them both. And now she's the only one suffering the consequences.' He wanted to give in and comfort her so bad, but he didn't know if it was the right choice to do.

"I'm fine, I got over it in time, it's just that...after the defeat of HawkMoth...with him not being there...Things got harder." she stopped there as her cigarette ended, she threw it away before sitting down with her legs between the bars of the railing, hanging in the air, and her head leaning against it.

"How did it go? The final battle?" the blond asked about the elephant in the room, praying that she won't get anxious over it. 'Maybe talking about it with me, would make her trust the fact that I won't reveal the secret.' And he got confirmation from the look on her face, there was no trace of anxiety, only pain.

"Bad...It was terrible." she closed her eyes tightly, as if she was trying to keep the memories away "I was alone, and scared, and I just found out who he was...It was torture! He was stronger than me so I had to rely on the lucky charm and whatever else I could use. And then I saw..." she stopped, she didn't know if she should tell him that detail or not. 'Maybe he doesn't know and I'll reveal too much.'

He sat down next to her, closer than he was before, prepared to continue her sentence. "And then you saw Emilie." He watcher her eyes widen, but before she could panic enough he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I knew before you did and I never said a thing about it. I'll keep quiet."

"You...How?! Since when? Why didn't you say anything?" there were lots of questions floating through her mind, but instead of looking for answers for those that really matter, her pain got the best of her, speaking in her place. "Since you knew" she looked him in the eyes with pure fury "Why didn't you help me fight him?!"

Seeing her expression full of pain mixed with anger, Felix froze. 'She...she's right...I could've stepped in. But..' "It wasn't my place to-"

Marinette took down the hand he placed on her shoulder before rising to her feet. "Your place?! It wasn't you place to do so?" she teared up again as she hugged herself "Then how was it my place?! Why did I have to do it? Adrien lost his father because of me! His mother too!"

Felix rose to his feet trying to reach her but she took a step back. "Marinette...It wasn't your fault. You tried your best! There was nothing yo-"

The bluenette shook her head before interrupting him again. "I could've made the wish! I wanted to..." the dam broke and her face was full of tears.

"What?! You wanted to do what?!" Felix couldn't believe his ears.

"The wish...if I sacrificed myself things would've been better for Adrien..." she barely managed to speak between the sobs.

'She...She wanted to exchange his life for them...FOR HIM?!' "That wouldn't have been worth it, Marinette. Do you hear yourself? You wanted to bring back HAWKMOTH, and in exchange you would've given up Ladybug, the guardian of the miraculous box. And that's not even the worst part. You wanted to give up your life? For who? For Adrien?"

"He deserves to have his family back, or at least his mom...I can't bear to know I'm the reason he los-"

"YOU'RE THE REASON PARIS IS SAFE! NOT THE REASON ADRIEN IS PARENTLESS! What about your parents? What about your friends?" 'What about me?!' he took a breath trying to cool off before continuing "You wanted to give up your life for someone who doesn't even notice you Marinette! Do you even hear yourself?!" 

She looks away while wiping her face, again, doing her best to stop the crying. "I do...And I still regret not doing it. Instead of being here, all scared and traumatized and full of regrets...I would've been free! I would be happy knowing Adrien's mother is back. And I would've erased the memories of my existence as Marinette. No one would be sad anymore!"

"I would!" he took a step towards her. He wanted to tell her so many things, how much he loved her, how much he cared for her, how much it pains him to hear she would've sacrificed herself for his oblivious cousin who wasn't even worth it, but it was too soon. "I would be sad!"

Marinette looked him in the eyes with a sad smile on her face. 'Would he really miss me?' She shook her head before denying his argument "You would've forgotten me too."

"You can't be sure about that." he huffed trying to hide his pain behind annoyance, a Felix classic move. "We don't know how the wish really works. Maybe all humans would've forgotten you, but I'm a Senti-being. I'm created by a Miraculous, you can't be sure that I would've forgotten you too." he looked away before the girl could catch a glimpse of the sadness in his eyes 'And if I didn't...how would I live in a world where you aren't around anymore?' 

She turned towards the railing, leaning on it again as she spoke. "So what? You would've gotten over it soon enough, but he would have his parents back. It would've been worth it..." 'Especially for me...I wouldn't be here struggling anymore...'

Hearing the words, something inside Felix broke and he froze in place looking away from her. "So he is the only one that matters to you, huh?! Not yourself, not Tikki, not your parents and friends, not...not me either. And here I thought that he was the oblivious one, but you're worse than him." It wasn't like Felix to talk without thinking first, but what she said really broke his composure, and no one got away with hurting him, not even the ones he loves. He has to give her a taste of her own medicine. "If you really want to know, your precious Adrien is also your partner, Chat Noir. He's too blind to see the hurting girl that would've given up her life for him, because he's too stuck on the perfect heroine who he's been pestering for months. If you disappeared and he wouldn't have forgotten, he wouldn't care about the fact that you're missing, or at least not too much. He would only be heartbroken that Ladybug doesn't answer him anymore."

When he saw her fall to her knees out of the corner of his eye he finally realized what he had just said, but he couldn't take his words back. 'I have to leave.' Usually he would've wanted to stick around, to try to help her process it all, but her words from before made him understand that he had no place in her heart right now, no matter how much he tried, so it would be better to stop here than make matters worse. "Duusu, Spread My Feathers!"

Chapter Text

She stood there crying for what seemed like hours. Nothing made sense anymore. The news of Adrien being Chat Noir broke her previous train of thoughts completely. 'So that's why he wasn't there for the final fight! But that means I just killed Chaton's father too! Wait...he...he had been fighting his father all along?! No...no no no no no...This has to be one of Felix's stupid jokes, there's no way Adrien could be...But....it makes perfect sense...even the akumatization...' Somewhere in the time she spent overworking her brain, Tikki came out of the room and nuzzled her neck. It was a comforting gesture, but considering the matter at hand, it didn't help her at all.

'And here I thought that asshole would help! But instead he just left her like this! No, I should calm down, there has to be some logic in his thoughts, after all he's Felix. But...why would he break her completely instead of helping her?' the kwami shook her head as if trying to wake up from her thoughts. She took a good look at her holder and she decided that it would be better to urge her to go back into the room, but lady luck wasn't so lucky after all, as the akuma alert started before Tikki could even start speaking. "Mari...do you...Can you do this right now? Or should I deliver the earrings to Rena?"

Marinette awoke from her thoughts just in time to make out the last part of her kwami's words. "No, let Alya rest. I...I have to do it!" She drew in one more deep breath before whispering "Spots on!"

"Morning M'lady! Fancy seeing you here so early in the morning! Did this annoying beast ruin your beauty sleep?" Chat Noir spoke as soon as he landed next to her. He saw her minutes ago, while she was still on her way to the atack, but she moved so quick that he didn't manage to catch up. After a few moments, seeing that his words fell on deaf ears he placed a hand on her shoulder trying to catch her attention. Wrong move.

"Let go!" she scream as soon as she took a step away, feeling as if his hand had burned her. She was still recovering, from the dream, from the conversation she had with Felix, and especially from the news. And remembering the news she quickly began analyzing him. 'Is...Did Felix tell the truth? Same eyes...Same hair...Same kicked puppy look...Oh no...No! I don't have time for this, akuma business comes first!' She took a deep breath before she spoke "Look Ad-Chat, I had a rough night, let's finish this quick so that both of us can go back to our things!" And as soon as she was done she jumped down into the alley, attacking the villain with full force.

"What's going on with her today? First she ignores me, then she gets scared of me and then straight to business..." Chat was still shocked from the events that just took place, and unconsciously voiced his thoughts out loud.

"Let her be, she's going through something. Actually you could help her right now, you know?" Argos's voice came from behind.

Chat Noir flinched, but as he recognized his cousin's voice he calmed down. "And what are you doing here, Argos?" 

He rolled his eyes as he sighed. The least thing he wanted to do right now was to have this chat with his oblivious cousin, but hey, wasn't it the best opportunity to annoy Adrien a bit? "Well, as I was the one that last saw the state Ladybug was in a few hours ago, I figured some extra help would be needed for this fight. So, if you would excuse me, I'm going to lend a hand." and he jumped down next to Ladybug, just in time to deflect a hit that was coming her way.

'The state Ladybug was in...did the two meet? But why would they meet? And a few hours ago to be specific...do they know each other? And why was she so lost in thought? Did something happen between them?!' the cat froze in place as he started overanalyzing the words, hoping to find some more meaning behind them, before Argos' voice interrupted him again.

"You know Chat? We could use the extra hand!" 

Ladybug felt as if she was too exhausted for the fight, but she had to try harder. 'If not me then who?' So she fought, and landed some hits, and dodged some that were coming her way, but soon enough the lack of sleep caught up. A small innocent yawn that came at the wrong time, ended with her looking straight at the shoot that was coming her way, without any chance to dodge or deflect. She stood there wide eyed, forcing herself to think, but surely it was too late to come up with something, so she braced herself hoping that the akuma's powers were nothing weird or incapacitating. But the shoot never came, as it was deflected by a blur of purple. Rubbing her eyes, she took one more look at the person who came to her rescue. "Argos?"

"Figured you would need some help. Fight now, talk later. Deal?" he spoke clear and decisive, as if he wouldn't take no as an answer, and he wouldn't. He was awake at this hour because the image of Marinette crying on her knees was haunting him every time he closed his eyes, leaving him incapable to take even a small nap. He figured that maybe his words were too harsh, especially thrown at her when she was in her most vulnerable state, so he had spent his time looking for ways to apologize and maybe even help her as he promised Tikki. So, when the opportunity arrived, he couldn't miss it.

"Deal..." she mumbled as she tried her best to lock away all the distracting thoughts, to focus only on the battle. "Distract him, I'll go call my lucky charm."

"Okay." and as Ladybug zipped away he started annoying the akuma, a little to much maybe, because soon enough the number of shots directed his way became overbearing. "You know Chat? We could use the extra hand!" he yelled, slightly annoyed at his cousin's ethics. 'So if I hadn't come she would've taken that hit...'

"Miraculous Ladybug!" the spotted heroine smiled as she managed to save the city once again. Turning back to face her teammates her smile died, but still, she pushed through with forced enthusiasm. "So uh...good work guys! We make a nice team! Now if you excuse me, I have to run, my transformation is only two minutes away. Bye!" she turned around quite happy with herself, believing she managed to get out of any discussions, but a hand on her wrist proved the contrary.

Argos read her mind before the fight could even finish. He knew she would try to escape him, and there was no way she would let her. "Sure, let's go!" 

Ladybug froze, before turning to him with an extremely fake smile. "Um...I meant alone?" 'Please Felix, tell me you're gonna let it go!'

" 'Fight now, talk later' remember? We made a deal." he looked at her defiantly, but there was no need, the defeat could be seen all over her face.

"And why would you go talk with her right now when her transformation is about to fall off?" Chat intervened somewhat annoyed. 'Who does he think he is to go away with her just like that? I'm her partner and I don't know her identity, what gives him the power to make such demands especially after he betrayed her?'

"And why do you assume that I don't kno-" Argos started, his voice full of anger. He hated most when people get into his business uninvited and start making assumptions about him.

"It's fine, Chat! And you, stop it!" Ladybug interrupted him, begging him with her eyes to stop and not mess with Chat. 'No need to annoy him even more, please!'

"It's fine? How could it be fine when you're about to detransform?! Unless...H-he knows your identity?!" That, the betrayed expression that was all over the cat's face when the realization hit, combined with the sadness from all the time she refused to tell him her identity, it was the same as-

"Chat Blanc..." the superheroine whispered trembling, while slowly taking a step back. It felt as if the world has finally turned all possible weapons against her, leaving her no way to back out. 'No...this can't be happening!' "I-i swear...I didn't tell him...He f-found-"She tried to explain but her sobs got the better of her and the words died in her throat.

As soon as Argos heard her whisper the name from her nightmares along with seeing the tears that were forming in her eyes, he knew 'There is no way things would even have a chance to end nice for both of them if I don't intervene, so I have to think fast!' "Look, let me send her home, as it's clear she's in distress right now, then I'll come back to clear things up with you." he said to Chat Noir. 'Not that you would be entitled to any explanations, but I know she wouldn't like keeping you in the dark.'

But the feline was fuming. "And why would you be the one to send her home? Or why would you be the one to talk instead of her?! Can't she do it herself?! Or, now that she let you in on the secret, you proclaimed yourself her new partner?!" And as his anger kept growing the inevitable happened, a purple butterfly was slowly making it's way to him. "Really Ladybug? You, the savior of Paris, need others to speak for you?!" 

But there came no answer. 

Ladybug was the first to spot the akuma, but the fear that her nightmare might really come true in this timeline as well, froze the blood in her veins, leaving her speechless, without even the power to capture the butterfly. 'It's me...I'm the reason he's going to get akumatized! I'm always the one that ruins things...No! Not him...Not again!' She wanted to help, wanted to protect him, but even her own body was giving up on her. Her vision was blurry and her ears were buzzing.

Argos, studying her reaction, had a feeling that something went wrong, and when he looked behind the cat hero he spotted it, the very own reason of her nightmare, an akuma. So, driven by his instinct to protect her, he did the only thing that could save the situation right now, he borrowed her yoyo and quickly caught the corrupted butterfly.

No one said anything for quite some time, but what was there to be said? They were all stressed after all, and it was time to put an end to this endless night. Argos sighed in relief, internally happy that his reflexes managed to kick in at the right moment, sparring the bluenette of another traumatic experience, Ladybug fell to her knees, face full of tears, while a sigh of relief escaped through her lips and Chat Noir was stunned, he couldn't believe how close he was to failing his duty and becoming akumatized.

The peacock's holder took it upon him to break the silence "Now, as I have saved you two from having to fight each other, I think I have the right to demand that you listen to me, for you own good. You!" he said looking at the spotted heroine "What are you waiting for? A butterfly for you too? Behind the chimney now, and let Tikki calm you down, don't rush to transform back! I'm gonna pick you up after I finish with him." he said as he turned to glare at the feline, not before making sure that he saw her nodding and executing, albeit a bit to slow, what he told her to. "Now you, first calm down, before you attract any more butterflies. I'm not dying to be a superhero, you know?"

Recovering from the shock of being almost akumatized, Chat was still half out of it, but a vibration sent by Plagg through his costume woke him up. "Yeah, I...I'm calmer now."

Argos huffed in exasperation, he would have never believed that there would come a day where he would have to take care of Paris's heroes, but apparently life is constantly finding new ways to surprise him. 'I don't even want to know what would've happened if I didn't come...What if he really got akumatized? I have to finish this fast, she must be scared...' He took in a deep breath while carefully choosing his words. "Firstly, no, she doesn't need others to speak for her. But, as you should've known already, given that you consider yourself 'her partner', she's been out of it for a long time, and guess what? Tonight has been her breaking point, with you now being the cherry on top! So. it's not that she needed me, I chose to help her instead of leaving her fend for herself against a stray." He sighed again, the disappointment in his cousin just reaching limits he didn't even know were possible. "I found out her identity. So don't you dare blame it on her and making her feel bad for it!" he continued with his icy gaze locked on Chat "The same way I found out your identity dear cousin, but she isn't mad at you now that I told her who you are, is she?" 'Sorry Mari, but it's only fair that he knows you I told you, before he finds out blames it on you again like the fool he is.'

The cat hero froze in his place, feeling as if all of the air in his lungs has suddenly disappeared. "Y-you know? A-and now she k-knows?" 'H-how? i was caref-ul...there's no way!'

"So now you realize you're not that great either, huh? Go home, there's still school in the morning." And with that Argos turned around leaving him alone, walking towards the chimney Marinette was hiding behind. But once he reached it, the image in front of him broke his heart. Poor Marinette was now crying in her sleep, and even her kwami was just floating there, feeling powerless. "My dear...how much pain did you have to endure, that even sleep can't grant you peace?" he whispered as he knelt down to pick her up, placing a kiss on her forehead in the process. "Let's send you two home, Tikki."

Chapter Text

Adrien: How?

Felix huffed. Of course he was expecting his impatient cousin to jump all over him asking about things, but he couldn't even wait until they would meet in person? 'I had high hopes for you cuz...too bad your selfish father sheltered you this much.'

Felix: Which one?

Felix: And careful with your phrasing, who knows how secure this messenger is.

Adrien: About me!

Adrien: How did you know? Since when?

'Should I? I mean it should make him more careful in the future. Give her less problems too.'

Felix: Pay more attention to your surroundings when you do that. Next time it might even be you know who seeing you.

Adrien: Oh...

Adrien: I was careful!

Adrien: I swear!

Adrien: I don't know what happened!

Adrien: But you're not allowed to tell anyone!

Felix: Trust me, I can't be more unbothered about this whole ordeal. I told her just to prove some point. And regarding her, first could you have the decency to send one singular message instead of a thousand? Lest the vibration from my phone wakes her up.

Felix smiles to himself. The small figure in his arms was still clutching his vest, the same way she did when they reached her bed and he de-transformed. 'She must be really tired...Well it might be time to take advantage of the situation, this way I can both make her feel safer around me and make Adrien jealous.' 

They were now laying in Mariette's bed. At first the blond didn't want to intrude, he wanted to let her sleep inside while he waited for her on the balcony, being there in case she has another nightmare, but when he tried to get up she wouldn't let him leave. So of course he was more than happy to stay there with her, he even offered his body as an replacement of a pillow. Feeling the warmth of her body, and the weight of it against his chest, made him feel more at ease, and he needed that, not only because of how broken she looked, but also because of the wish that almost came into being.

Adrien: You're with her?!

Adrien: Is she safe?

Adrien: So you do know who she is!

Felix: What did I just tell you? And yes, I do know. I thought we made that clear. She's safe for now, but seeing you in that state took a toll on her. So, moving to my second point, maybe use your head more? What was going on inside your mind to let yourself be so close to failure?!

'Not only that she went through so much because of you, but you just keep making things worse! How much longer must she suffer because of you and your idiocy?!' Felix tensed as the thought, but sensing the girl stirring from his movement, he relaxed in an instant, scared he might ruin her sleep.

"So you do care about her...But then, why did you put salt on the wound before leaving her earlier?" Tikki whispered from above him. She kept observing him ever since they came back. 'I thought I know how to read people, but you're just...complicated, one time nice and the next an asshole, and somehow the fact that you're connected to my holder...' she sighed before floating to his eye-level.

Felix thanked the kwamis because of his connection with Duusu, otherwise Tikki appearing out of nowhere would've scared him to death. "You know, it's not nice to scare people."

The little god huffed. "And you're one to talk about being nice?" She crossed her tiny paws, trying to show him that she was mad at him for his previous actions, when his phone buzzed again. "Adrien is not giving up is he?"

"You were reading my conversation?" Felix felt annoyed by the lack of privacy. 

"Oh come on, it was clear it's going to be about my holder, so I had to make sure you won't drop the bomb on him!" she explained while protectively positioning herself in the small gap between her holder and the blond.

Felix sighed as he raised his hand from around the girl and softly pushed the small kwami to the side. "You said so yourself, you know I care about her. I just...lost my composure after hearing...that." He placed his arm around her waist once again, but this time way tighter, as if she could just slip from his arms, all while the thought of her sacrificing herself sent a chill down his spine. "How could she be so selfless? She really doesn't care about herself, does she?"

Tikki let out a sad sigh while floating down to caress Marinette's head. "She started her journey hoping to save and protect everyone, but...as time went on... Being the hero comes with a price, and for her that meant enduring everything alone. Chat's akumatization, Master Fu's loss, losing the kwamis" she sent him a glare "And now even the final battle, or at least what was supposed to be it, as the akumatizations continued. She is strong, and she wants to use that power to save everyone, just as it's supposed to, but...unfortunately there's one small flaw in her situation."

Felix, who was previously listening attentively, feeling somewhat proud but deeply pained by Marinette's situation, now frowned "What flaw?"

"While the ladybug is supposed to guard the land, protecting it from danger and repairing everything in case things go wrong, her partner, the cat, is supposed to protect her, shield her from danger and help her with her suffering. In Marinette's situation though...they weren't allowed to know each other's identity at first, and then the whole Chat Blanc situation scared her, so they didn't have any chance to open up in order to create a bond properly and...she ended up enduring all the pain alone." she said sadly, while her eyes filled with tears. 

The blond felt his blood boiling in his veins "So it's my dumb cousin's fault!"

But Tikki quickly jumped to Adrien's defense "It's not actually, Master Fu chose well enough! But...they were hindered a lot by this father...So one could say that it's Gabriel's fault after all. If he didn't suppress Adrien so much maybe they would have a better balance, or if he wasn't that obsessed with destroying the heroes...I don't know, even I don't have the answer. But I know that it became all too much for her and that's how she had fallen into this state."

The room fell into silence for quite some time. Felix was slowly digesting the information, while the kwami continued to cry silently, feeling bad for her holder's pain, slowly caressing her head while wishing she could do anything to improve her situation, at least a little bit. 'Should I...?'

"They've been running around each other for ages, never on the same side of the mask, and now, if Adrien finds out who she is, things might take a turn for the worse." Felix broke the silence. He was trying to find a course of action that would help the sleeping girl in his arms.

Tikki wiped her tears before turning to him with a slightly annoyed look. "I know. I mean...isn't it obvious? And it's not like telling her who he is made this whole ordeal any better!" Her raised voice made the bluenette stir in her sleep.

"I know you're angry, but your anger should only be directed to me. Don't wake her up in the process! Going back to my point now, that means their balance will never become what it should have been. So what else could be done?" He fixed the flying creature with his eyes, waiting for something, anything, that may come in as a starting point. 

The kwami turned her head away, and faintly whispered. "I don't know..."

"What?!" Felix whisper shouted, shocked by the answer. The small god should've been around for centuries, surely there have been cases when the two main superheroes had difficulties in terms of reaching out to the other.

Tikki finally gathered the courage to approach him once again, so she sat down on the pillow next to his head. This way she could hide away the pain and shame that were surely portrayed on her face. "There has never been such a case...The other heroes have their kwamis to talk to, and that is mostly enough for them, as they are rarely active. Regarding the creation and destruction wielders, one would normally turn to the guardian in the rare cases when the equilibrium between the two wasn't present. But in our case..."

"She's also the guardian..." the boy continued her phrase, finally realizing that there has been no such precedent. He let out a breath, while both heartache and helplessness filled him to the brim. 'Such a small girl, with such big responsibilities pilled up on her shoulders. Do you always take on more than you can carry?' Studying her, he came up with a new idea. "Wait, what if she passes the earrings to someone else?"

But Tikki turned him down with just a simple shake of her head, one that even though he couldn't see, he felt it.

"Why not? It would ease her burden."

The small god sighed. "I tried talking her into doing this already. Chrysalis is too strong, a new hero would need time to catch up on things. And with the way Chat Noir is...he wouldn't take the change too well. It would also make her feel bad for putting so much pressure onto someone else. So in the end, it would just burden her more." It's not like she didn't try to come up with alternatives on her own already. Marinette was her holder after all, and more than that, she was her friend too. Tikki wanted what was best for her, so she always tried her best in finding ways to relieve some of the stress the poor girl had, but it never worked. So she has to take the matters into her small paws and make it work this time, he was the key. "That's why I asked you to help her after all...You're the only one right now, besides me, that knows all the horrors she went through. I hoped that you could fix this imbalance somehow, not by pushing them towards each other, but by taking the cat's place in helping her deal with the aftermath."

"Me?" The blond said somewhat surprised turning his head towards her. "I know you asked me to help her, but there's still something I don't understand, why me?" 

Tikki got up, moving in front of his face while fixing him with her eyes. "Are you sure you want to know? It might not be what you expect to hear and I don't want that to change your relationship."

Chapter Text

"Do I look like an idiot? I asked for it. If there's anything that you think can help me help her then tell me." Felix asked impatiently. The way the little goddess phrased things intrigued him, but he was sure that there was nothing that could change their relationship or make him see Marinette any different. 'If there's anything that I can do to help you, trust me Marinette, I will!' he thought to himself, glancing to the small figure that was still sleeping soundly in his arms.

"I think it was supposed to be you." Tikki said firmly "The miraculous of the cat, I have a feeling it should've been yours." She said fixing him with her eyes. 'It's a risky move, and it might not even be 100% true this time either...but it's my last hope.'

The blond studied her somewhat shocked by the news, he was searching for anything that might suggest the kwami was lying or playing with him, but who was he kidding, he already knew from Duusu that Tikki hates lies. 'Me? A hero? I would at least be better at it than my cousin that's for sure, but cats are a no for me.'

And speaking of Duusu, the kwami of emotion has now abandoned his adventure around the guardian's bedroom, choosing to jump in the conversation. "Yes, the connection is there!"

"You feel it too, don't you?" the red kwami turned to face her kin, she was happy to hear confirmation from the original matchmaker. "And just look at him, he would've made the perfect pair with Plagg! Not that I want to separate you from your holder or something. Just think about how good Mari and him would work together! If she can perform this well without a proper soul connection, just imagine their sync and trust!"

'Connection? Me being Cat Noir? What's going on?' Felix sighed loudly. "Ok, can you two stop speaking in your own mystical terms and explain to me what's going on here?!"

Tikki turned towards him once again. "Oh sorry, it's just...I wasn't completely sure of it before, and it never crossed my mind to ask Duusu when I've had the chance, but turns out I was right!" She said smiling brightly. 'So I did make the right call when I asked him for help!'

But the blond was already filled to the brim with exasperation. "With what?!" 

"About you!" Duusu replied instead. "You were supposed to be the cat, master! While the bug is chosen based on her abilities to help people and save the world, her partner is chosen based on their bond. Being the kwami of emotion, I can also see how well two people would work together and the kind of fate they have together, as you would call it, I can see one's soulmate. When it's time to lend out the miraculouses, if the bug's soulmate is a good person and doesn't fail the guardian's test, then that's the person we choose for the miraculous of the cat. But considering the fact that I was locked away..." the small peacock stopped there, shaking its head as if trying to shoo away the dark memories.

"I had to step in and make the call." Tikki continued "I'm the kwami of creation, and being the first I know a lot more about others' abilities as I have tried to master the useful ones, so feeling somewhat of a connection between Marinette and Adrien...I believed that it was him...and that's what lead us here..." The guilt resurfaced once again, but before she could even start feeling sorry she felt two small paws hugging her.

"Oh Tik...don't blame yourself, you couldn't have known...You made a good call either way! I mean they have won countless times already, didn't they?" the purplish kwami tried to cheer her up, and seeing Tikki smile after she happily returned the embrace, she did it. "Though I know what went wrong, you must have felt their feelings for each other and it felt like it was the one. The key is to look past the typical feelings like crushes, protectiveness, jealousy and such, it's also about respect, self-growth, oh one of the most important, communication and-" 

But the two forgot about the main character here, Felix. He was stuck somewhere between shock, disbelief and a faint happiness combined with hope. "You mean I'm her soulmate?!" he exclaimed, forgetting the situation he was in, feeling overwhelmed by the news. 'So this has to explain why Tikki thinks I'm the one able to help, but is fate really set in stone? Things may change and she might refuse my help, does being her soulmate grant me some extra trust?'

Attracted by the noise, a blue haired figure joins the circle, looking somewhat lost and still half asleep. "Who's what?" Marinette asked with a hoarse voice, before a yawn finally awoke her brain. 'That was the best sleep I've had in weeks, the pillow was actually very comf- Felix is here too?!' She was taken by surprise by the green eyes staring into hers. "Wait! What are you doing here?" But taking a look at her surroundings, that seemed like the least important piece of information. "Did I sleep on you?" the bluenette asked embarrassed as she tried to put some space between them.

But Felix quickly regained control of his body and rushed to stop her by hugging her. "Don't even think about it. Yes, you slept on me, and seeing that you had a peaceful, what?" he said quickly checking his watch "2 hours of sleep, you will continue to do so until the morning. I might have found a cure to your nightmares, and that's me."

Usually, the girl would be too shy to comply, or, considering the person who she was now laying on, too stubborn to follow his instructions, but her body was agreeing with him, her eyes already closing on their own and her brain feeling too tired to argue. 'Alright body, you win, considering he offered I would be quite dumb to turn him down.' "You know what? I'll fight you on this in the morning, right now you're quite *yawn* comfortable and I would really love some peaceful sleep." For once her mind was against overthinking the situation or worrying about the following day. 

Seeing how easy she agreed, the blond's brain was short-circuiting for the 3rd time in the span of a few minutes, but it was worth it. Yes, maybe the news of his 'meant to be' role in this whole superheroes thing were quite unexpected, and yes, finding out that the girl he loved was actually his soulmate was quite overwhelming, in the good way, but having her laying down in his arms willingly made it feel like, even if he would have to hunt down his cousin tomorrow, just to steal his miraculous, it would all be worth it. 'Don't worry my dear, I will stop at nothing to help you. I knew from the moment I laid my eyes on you that I had to make you mine, and now, hearing these magical creatures confirming it, I assure you that I'll do everything I can so that nothing and no one will hurt you anymore. Not even my family.'

Feeling that Marinette's breath has stabilized, he figured out that she was already asleep, so it was time for answers. "You two!" he whisper-shouted to catch the attention of the kwamis that were now chatting in the opposite side of the room. "I think we should have a longer talk."

Chapter Text

"No, that won't work Felix. No matter the reason, I'm not letting you do this!" Tikki scolded the impulsive blond. 'I knew he was stubborn, but he's even more so than Marinette!'

"Why not? You said so yourself! I am the one who should've been the cat anyway, what's wrong with taking what's mine?!" the boy asked annoyed. He was usually not this impulsive, but finding out that your cousin has been unconsciously hurting your, apparently existing, soulmate, plus finally allowing yourself to feel all the feelings you've been trying to suppress in order not to scare the one you love away, can drive you a bit -maybe a bit more- insane.

"Because you'll hurt her!" the bug whisper-yells as she's trying her best not to wake up her holder. "Isn't the goal to help her? To make her feel better? How would you stealing Adrien's miraculous, help her in any way?! You just have to play the role of the cat in the balance of partners, and by that I mean be her partner outside of the suit, help her process her feelings, and maybe even help her in fights. Not to cause any more problems, she has enough on her mind already!" 

"And how would-" Felix tries to argue once more but Tikki just floats straight up to his face to cover his mouth with her paws.

"I'm gonna explain it to you as if you were a 5 year old, but if you still don't get it, then it means you're a lost cause." she sighs as she floats away to sit on Marinette's head "What they lack as a team is proper balance. They have found a proper way to fight together, but they lack communication, both inside and outside of the mask, and that's what causes a problem. What she lacks in her life is the same thing, she can't focus on being herself, being a teenager, because she can't separate her life as a superhero, plus the stress, pressure, responsibilities and trauma, from a typical life of a teenage girl who just wants to design. But that doesn't mean you can just go in and remove the last thing she's used to, and by that I mean Adrien being her partner, because that would just make her feel even more lost! You have to take things slow, be an addition in her life at first, don't rush to make your way in by force! Do it slow and help her work through the mess. I know you want to help her, but you can't do that on your own, she has to do it." she ends on a softer note while patting her holder's head.

Duusu floated in between them, figuring it might be her fault somehow. "I agree with her, master. You have to help Marinette help herself." 'And considering that me giving you this much information lead to this, you have to help me too or Tik will break my brooch!

"But now that I know, I can just change everything and give her exactly what she needs!" Felix retorts, a bit too loudly apparently, causing Marinette to stir.

"And that's why humans shouldn't know about soulmates...It makes them jump straight into each others life without giving the other time to adapt! " Tikki sighs as she sends Duusu an icy glare. "Felix, she's scared, hurt, and traumatized. What she needs now is someone to help her, I agree with you on this, I even told you this myself, but she's not a doll or a puppet so that you can just control her surroundings, her life. She just needs someone that won't betray her, that won't hide from her or run away. She needs someone who will listen to her, be there for her, someone who will catch her when she falls. She needs to know that, even if tomorrow she may lose against Chrysalis, you'll be there to help her fight back, and help her deal with the aftermath. Not someone who would chose to take her earrings, or Chat's ring, just so that they could fight her battles for her!" she crosses her paws, feeling somewhat triumphant as she sees the defeated look on Felix's face. 'You might be more ambitious than most, but you humans tend to forget that we've been around for centuries. Of course I know how to deal with challenging people like you!' 

"I'm an idiot, aren't I?" the boy asks before he sighs, a feeling of embarrassment mixed with guilt filling his mind "Last night I was fully aware of all this, and now I act as an 'entitled british brat' just because the idea of being her soulmate made me think I could find a way to do things faster, that I had to...I just...I wanted to help her for so long, and now I thought I might have found a shortcut. I know the easy way isn't always the best but I hoped that maybe this time..." 'maybe this time I'll prove to her that I'm really here for her, not just to hurt her again...Maybe I could've make her realize that she doesn't have to be so wary of me anymore...' He finished the thought in his head, saying it out loud would help with nothing but making him seem hurt or even desperate. He knows he is, but it's not something that others should know too.

Tikki floats up to pat his hair, a gesture that annoys him but makes the two kwamis giggle. Then she floats down to eye level, finally being capable to read the feelings he hides in his heart. "You're not an idiot. You're in love! And it's the best feeling ever, but sometimes it makes you lose your mind. I understand where you were coming from, I've had holders in the past, that would do things much more dangerous for the ones they love."

"Just as she wanted to make the wish..." the reminder of Marinette's thoughts suddenly making the mood gloomy. "Now I have to fight with him for her love, don't I? I mean she was foolish enough to be willing to sacrifice herself for him..." He asks, caressing Mari's face with the tip of his fingers. 

"I don't think that's entirely true, am I right?" Duusu asks, turning towards Tikki.

"Why do you say so?" Felix asks intrigued.

"I'm the kwami of emotion after all, don't you think I can feel what she's feeling? And at the moment romantic love is almost at the bottom of the list, instead..." but the bird stops there. She knows it's not her place to speak of Marinette's feelings.

Tikki sighs 'It's not as if they don't know more than enough already...What's one more thing? After all, the more he knows the better he can understand her...' she then turns around, feeling unable to look Felix in the face "There were a lot of things...Yes, her feelings for him might have played a part too, but don't forget that's also who Marinette is. She sacrifices herself for the people of Paris almost every day. She would be willing to do the same even for Alya. Plus, considering the other factors..." the bug's voice started to break "being a hero is too much for her, and she subconsciously realized that...making that wish...would mean the end of it." The tears have begun to fall on her face, but she turned her head back, looking the blond in his eyes as she remembered his words. "You said one right thing before, Felix, even heroes need help."