The Renegade's Secret

Chapter 11

"Tikki, what is wrong with me?!?!"

"Marinette, you know he'll forgive you but you've gotta learn how to be normal around him again, Ladybug can't be falling all over herself when you're fighting a villain..."

"I know. I just... I guess I haven't really felt this way before. Not about him... And there are so many feelings about that, I mean, what about Adrien? Do I somehow not love him anymore? Do I like both of them now? And... I saw what happened when Cat got akumatized. He said our 'love' did this to the world... What if falling for him causes the end of the world?" She buried her face in her pillow.

"You don't know that Marinette. Cat Blanc was in an alternate timeline, that obviously wasn't the right time, but maybe now is. Besides, Cat Blanc knew your secret identity, Cat Noir doesn-"

"Of course!!" Marinette bolted upright, "He knew that I was Marinette, and when I tried to find out his identity for Master Su-Han, all of time got messed up, which means something catastrophic must have happened. So as long as no identities get shared..."

There was a tap on the trap door. Tikki hid and Marinette opened the door to see Cat. He jumped down into the room without saying anything and began to pace the floor.

"I don't get it. I think Ladybug hates me, or maybe she hates herself? It makes no sense. She wouldn't even talk to me all evening and then she just ran off. I had something really important to tell her, about my father, and she just ditched me. What did I do??"

Marinette's guilt came back and she looked away. "Oh Cat, I'm sure it isn't something you did, she probably just has a lot going on right now..."

"And I don't?? My father is freaking... Nevermind." He buried his face in his hands and sat down on the chaise.

"Wait, you weren't going to tell her everything about your father were you? Like who he is, everything?"

He looked up at her with an almost guilty expression. "I... I have to." His head dropped. "Even if she hates me afterward, she has to know, it's too important."

"But... If you tell her who your father is, then she'll know your secret identity..."

"I know, but that's a risk I have to take." His head hung low as he stared at the floor.

She stepped toward him. "Do you love her?"

"Excuse me?" his head snapped up.

"Ladybug, you love her, right?"

"I... did... But now I'm not sure, actually. I spent so much time pining over her that I missed someone else in my life. It almost feels like a mistake." He looked into her eyes, his eyes sparkling with something she couldn't quite place.

Her breath caught in her throat. She didn't know whether to feel sad or... Was it even possible that he could be talking about her? Why did she want him to be so bad?

He stood up and closed the distance between them, and her heart started pounding.

"But, if you reveal your identity to Ladybug... Couldn't that be disastrous? You'd never be able to be with her, it would be too dangerous."

"I know, but, I don't really think I want to be with Ladybug anymore." He looked into her eyes, taking her hand in his and speaking barely above a whisper.

"Cat... The rose... It was.." She whispered.

"Pink. For gratitude, admiration, and... new romantic feelings..."

She couldn't help it, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her in close by the waist. She was the perfect height for him to rest his chin on her head. She closed her eyes and buried her face into his chest, taking in his scent. She could hear his heart pounding, matching the rhythm of her own heart.