Someone Like You (Cat Noir)

Chapter 61 The Secrets We Share

Hello everyone! Back with another chapter! Last chapter I wrote I have mixed feelings about. I had what I thought was a really cool concept and although I still believe that, I think it was too big of a concept for what I tried to compact it down to. Because I was trying to fit so much into a chapter or well, technically 2 chapters, it ended up taking me forever to complete.

Now I know, I'm not a speedy nor consistent updater in general, but whenever I go over a month without updating I feel bad because I know how much I hate when I get into a story only to find out it hasn't been updated in 4 months because then when it does get updated, I have almost completely forgotten what it was about or why I liked it.

However, because I got so determined to finish it so that there would be an update, the ending got short-cut a little. I had planned on making more comparison moments for Adrien and his female variant, as well as some more for Marinette as well. I wanted it to help act like a clarity moment for them both but it didn't quite work out that way. Still, I hope those of you who are sticking around enjoyed it enough and will continue to with the chapters to come!

OOoOoOoO

It had been a whole two weeks since Marinette broke things off with Luka and she was doing...horrible. Marinette had never broken up with someone before. In fact, she had never before Luka, had any time of real relationship with anyone in a romantic sense. She figured, under different circumstances, it would feel different. That, maybe when you break up with someone and the reason isn't because of your secret identity and all the responsibilities that come with it, that perhaps it's not as painful. Parting ways with someone you gave your heart to had to be easier when you did it because you want to rather than having to, right?

Marinette wished that her breakup was the only problem she had, but in truth, it simply highlighted all the ones she tried hard to ignore. She couldn't be with Luka because she would always have this secret she had to keep from him. But this problem didn't apply to Luka alone. Adrien wouldn't be any easier. Not that she was getting anywhere with that anyway, but even if she had, the problem would remain. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about it before. Marinette had thought on many occasions how difficult it would be to keep her identity from someone she was in love with. She sometimes thought about the interdimensional field trip she had taken with Chat Noir, and in doing so became jealous. Jealous because her other self had the luxury of what she assumed was a normal life, and because of it, she also had a normal relationship with Luka.

It was hard enough to keep it from her family, her friends...all she felt like she did these days was lie to everyone who cared about her. It wasn't uncommon, she guessed. If you took a look at any number of superheroes that kept their identity a secret, there is always a struggle to balance the everyday man with the hero. In many cases, the hero eventually caves, and tells the person they love about their secret, or sometimes it happens by accident. But others are more determined to keep both aspects of their life separate, mainly to keep the people they love safe.

She thought about her time in New York. All the heroes in that city alone, there had to be some kind of trick to it all. NightOwl and Majestia came to mind. NightOwl was so careful about keeping her identity safe that she paraded around as a man, having sparrow do the same. Marinette wondered what circumstances lead Barabra Keynes to shift that perspective enough to not only share her identity with Olympia Hill but start a life with her. Maybe it was the fact that as Majestia, Olympia was practically indestructible. Maybe it was because they were both heroes, and understood all the risks. They loved and trusted each other enough to make it work.

Marinette could almost understand why Barabra would take the leap. But she wasn't sure about Olympia. As Ladybug, Marinette was almost indestructible as well. In that respect, so was Luka, when he was given the chance to be Viperion. For the sake of argument, Marinette let herself imagine herself coming clean to Luka. Telling him that she was Ladybug. In her heart, she felt he would understand. He was the most understanding person she knew. She also knew that even if they broke up, he would never willingly share her secret with anyone either.