Masks Off

Different

It was surprising, of course, but she stood there, as still as possible, while she contemplated and processed the new information. She should be ecstatic, she knew that, but something held her back from jumping off to that assumption. This was one of those big moments, you know; one of those moments that you will always remember. This was it, the big reveal, and it couldn't have gone worse.

The day had started easily enough, she was on time for school, she got an A on her chem test, and her mom had packed her favorite pastry into her lunch. Chloe had been mean, like always, but she didn't seem to have anything bad to say directly to Marinette today. This, of course, meant she had caused another poor kid to run crying into the bathroom, but that was Chloe being Chloe. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing different. You always think there is going to be something different, a feeling maybe. Marinette even talked to Adrien today! If only she had known...

She sighed as she paced the room.

The Akuma attacked, like it always does, and they won, like they always do. The dynamic duo always saving the world. She didn't know what made them want to reveal themselves now, and she wished she could undo it. They had known each other for over a year now, it felt right. Or maybe Chat's words had been etched into her brain about how they were ready. Maybe it was the beautiful weather, or the good mood, or the easy win, but they had decided that their trust was strong enough for this. That their trust was unbreakable, or so she thought.

Chat Noir is Adrien Agrest.

He had revealed himself first, that cat: always so eager. His transformation wore off and her gasp could be heard echoing off the empty halls of the building they had secluded themselves in. His face was full of excitement mixed with uncertainty. He stared at her as he waited for a response.

"Well my lady," he asked nervously, "What do you think?"

"I..." she started, "I thought I knew you." She stared at him for a while, trying to make sure her brain knew what she was seeing, wasn't this a good thing? Why was she upset?

"What does that mean," he asked worriedly as he tried to step closer, she waved him off.

"You..." she stammered, "You are Adrien Agrest, the kind-hearted boy that helps everyone even if you don't think they deserve it. You are the boy who took the blame for something you didn't cause so your friends wouldn't get in trouble. You're the model that everyone looks up to"

His face had gone from worried to angry. "That's my civilian form! That's the boy who puts on an act for everyone to see so his dad can sell products. That's the boy who everyone wants to see and wants to believe is real. That isn't me! Chat Noir is me! When I wear my mask I can be myself, I can be strong, make puns, save the world, and accidentally fall in love; because that's what I did m'lady, I fell in love with you. That's the only thing that my civilian form has in common with me, we both love you ladybug"

It took her a little bit by surprise, she had always known Chat had feelings for her but hearing it now, from Adrien's face, made it so much more real. But now, it was her turn to be angry.

"But you didn't love me!" she huffed, scrunching her eyebrows. "You loved Ladybug and she isn't me! You say that both your civilian and your true self love me but that's not true, you love the mask! Not the girl behind it. You love what it represents not was it truly is, a mask. You love Ladybug, the mighty superheroine who always saves the day and is loyal to you and the city. You don't love ME!" She felt like her heart was going to explode from the overwhelming amount of emotions clinging inside of it. He fell in love with a masquerade, and she a puppet. She was always afraid that it would come to this. Everyone always loved Ladybug more, and rightfully so. Ladybug saves the world, but she felt like she couldn't save herself. She didn't need everyone's approval but she wished her closest friends would pay attention to Marinette more than Ladybug because unlike Chat, she hid behind that mask. Her true self was Marinette, and as Ladybug she acted braver and stronger and sure of herself to keep the public calm when there was an attack. The public fell in love with that image, Adrien fell in love with that image. Yet no one seemed to understand how fake it really was. Ladybug isn't perfect, no one is, but people couldn't accept that. So she had always been afraid that people close to her would prefer Ladybug to Marinette. And her nightmare had just come true. She had yet to reveal herself but she felt a hand on her shoulder trying to turn her towards the only other face in the room.

"Ladybug please" He pleaded, "how could you possibly say something like that! Of course I love you in your civilian form, whoever that may be, just give me a chance. There has to be a reason why you're so against this." He looked exasperated, running his hands through his hair. She could see him calculating how to fix the situation but she knew he couldn't.

"Because I loved you too, that perfect boy in the posters, the boy who would stand up for his friends, the boy who could save the world without hiding behind a mask." Her eyes started to water as she felt a knot start to form at the bottom of her throat.

"You fell in love with a model you have never meet. You couldn't possibly know anything about me" He puffed out frustrated. She knew he meant well, but he still didn't understand.

"Ah, ah, ah" she sighed, "That's where you're wrong"

"You couldn't know me in civilian form" he paled. She finally moved towards him.

"C'est la vie" she choked out as her transformation disappeared.

"Marinette?!" he back up a little as he looked at her in shock, "I...I..."

"Fell in love with the mask" she finished for him, "and couldn't see past it to the girl who loved you if you had just turned to notice" She walked out the building, leaving him to his shock, and proceeded to walk home. She told herself she didn't want to be the girl who cried over a boy, and she didn't. She laid in her bed and for the first time that day, instead of feeling everything, she felt numb.

But somehow, that was worse...