Red Strings And Markers

f o u r

"Marinette, you're... You're Ladybug?" Chat Noir looked down at the girl who just detransformed right in front of him.

"Yes, that's me. I am Ladybug." Marinette said, fidgeting and looking down at her feet.

"So... All these times that I've come to your doorstep in the middle of the night, all the secrets we shared... Everything we've done... Has it all been pretend? Have you pretending to be in love with me?"

"Chat, n-no, that's not what I intended-"

"Really Marinette? As Ladybug, you told me that you didn't love me and that you loved someone else. And now, you're Marinette, you're the first person I tell anything, everything, to and it's just all... All some hoax!" Chat was laughing but they weren't laughs of humor. There were laughs of disbelief. "I can't... I can't even stand to look at you anymore. I'm through with you, Marinette. Or Ladybug. Whoever the hell you are. It's over between the two of us."

Everything was going dark for Marinette and she could only focus on the back of the black cat that was walking away.

"C-Chat, wait!" She would call out for him, but he wouldn't turn. Tears streamed down Marinette's cheeks as she saw a large pair of red scissors appear in her view and cut the red cord that tied her to Chat. "N-No, please, no!"

"Marinette! Marinette!" Marinette shot up in her bed, tears streaking down her cheeks and she found herself struggling to breath. "Marinette, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?" Tikki had done the hardest she could to wake Marinette up when she noticed that the teenager was moving around a lot and muttering words in her sleep.

Marinette looked over at the clock. Five in the morning. She ran a shaky hand through her undone hair, letting out a sigh.

"Y-Yeah, I did." Marinette pulled her blankets off. "I'm going to get a drink of water." Tikki nodded and went back to her bed.

Marinette stumbled down the stairs to her kitchen, her legs still shaking from the intensity of her dream that night.

She had a dream that she revealed herself to Chat Noir and due to Ladybug having rejected Chat, he thought that she had been pretending the whole time.

Marinette's dream suddenly scared her. What if this dream was a foreshadow of what's to happen in the future?

She chugged a glass of water, letting out a sigh once she swallowed. Let's hope that things won't take a turn for the worse.

"Adrien, straight after school, you're going to be picked up and taken to the park for a photo shoot. Afterwards, you're being taken to the television station for an interview." Adrien had barely stepped into the dining room and was making his way to his breakfast when Nathalie started listing what he would be doing that day.

"Good morning to you too, Nathalie." He sighed. Nathalie remained nodded her head and took her leave. Adrien was left to himself to eat his breakfast in his own, like usual.

While he ate, his mind began to wander about his princess – Marinette was probably getting ready for school herself and he couldn't wait to see her. But Adrien couldn't just go up and hold her. That was Chat Noir, not Adrien Agreste. Maybe as Adrien, he could get closer to Marinette and maybe, she could like both sides of him?

"Adrien, don't daydream while you're eating, you'll be late." Nathalie scolded.

This brought Adrien out of his thoughts and he quickly finished the rest of his breakfast.

Marinette had made it to school on time today, meeting Alya by the front doors of the school.

"Good morning." Alya smiled to her.