The Price of One || Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

Chapter Twelve: Who to Choose?

Marinette paced around her room - Tikki’s eyes following her holder as she moved. “Tikki! What does Emma mean? I mean - I like Luka now. How could I possibly still like Adrien? I mean, we’re just friends - right Tikki?” She asked in confusion, turning to Tikki who just shook her head.

“Emma was right, Marinette. This isn’t a math problem. Love is complicated.” She said as Marinette groaned - pulling at her pigtails as she collapsed at her desk. She slowly looked up at Tikki before moving the chair to another part of her desk, where she uncovered a rather large shoebox that was filled with all of the pictures she had taken down of Adrien.

“You haven’t fully let him go, Marinette,” Tikki advised her holder, putting a small pomegranate hand on her shoulder. “You can’t give your heart to another boy without letting go of the other one first,”

“I can’t just throw them out, Tikki! It feels...It feels so wrong!” Marinette complained. She gently took one from the box, looking at the image of Adrien’s face. “Even if I fully decided I didn’t like him anymore, he’s still one of my best friends! How can I just throw away pictures of my best friend? Tons of people have pictures of their best friend in their room!” Marinette countered.

Tikki raised an eyebrow. “Do most people previously have a shrine dedicated to their best friend?” Marinette’s cheeks flushed as she turned away from her kwami. “Touche,” She replied with a sniff.

Tikki’s eyes softened. “Marinette..I just want what’s best for you. But..you’ll never be happy with what you have if you’re still striving for something - or someone else,” Tikki said. Marinette sighed, patting her kwami friend on the head. “I know, Tikki. But just...not yet,” She decided, putting the box back in the hidden corner of her desk.

- - -

“Don’t ask me for advice. You humans are so complicated. If it was up to me, you should all just eat cheese. Mmm...camembert,” Plagg mumbled as he ate a large bite of cheese. Adrien sighed - collapsing onto his bed. “You don’t know anything about love,” Adrien grumbled - pinching the bridge of his noise in exasperation.

He rolled over as he stared at what Emma had dubbed as the ‘Ladybug shrine’. “I don’t get it, Plagg. Every time I think I’m over her, all of my old feelings come back like a tsunami.” He sighed. Plagg licked his lips. “The Emma girl did have a point though. If you really think she’s the one you should fight for. Like how I fought for my precious camembert over morbier cheese. Camembert was always my one true love,”

Adrien turned to Plagg with narrowed eyes. “Not helping, Plagg.” He groaned again. “I mean, Kagami is one of my best friends, and I feel something for her, and I know she likes me back, so theoretically, everything could turn out well,” He reasoned as Plagg rolled his eyes. “But?” Plagg deadpanned.

“But, whenever I think about Ladybug..” He trailed off as butterflies suddenly exploded in his stomach. “It just feels right,” He decided. Plagg rolled his eyes - talking with cheese in his mouth. “So get the girl and be done with it,”

Adrien made a sound that sounded a lot like a mixture of helplessness and annoyance. “But Kagami now thinks that I also like her. So if I do decide to like Ladybug, I’m going to have to obviously tell her my feelings and why we can’t be together, but at the same time, if Ladybug rejects me, and I lose Kagami for nothing…” Adrien trailed off.

Plagg snorted. “That’s just it, kid. You have to decide if Ladybug is worth it. Even if you lose Kagami,” Adrien stared in shock at his Kwami’s sudden wisdom, and the reality of Plagg’s words.

Just in time, Adrien’s phone rang, announcing a call from Kagami. He closed the shrine with a panel and turned to Plagg. “Let’s talk about this later - Kagami’s calling,” He said, answering his phone as he walked away from the panel and the problem.