Marinette
She sat over her diary, pouring over the pages. She had to get rid of anything that mentioned Ladybug, and she had around four years of writing to go through. She tried leaving in as much as she could, but most of it was about Ladybug. It felt like she didn't have much of a social life at all.
"You don't have to do this Marinette."
Tiki whispered, sitting down next to the pages. Yes, she did.
"I can't keep anything Ladybug related. You know that."
"I meant giving it all up. There are other options."
"Hawkmoth is still out there. If I slipped up, if I got acumatized, or accidentally called Adrien by his real name, that's it. Game over. Chat wouldn't be safe. And, Ladybug is alot for me. I was never meant for this job. It's too much, not being able to tell anyone. I can't keep lying like this."
Tiki looked down, and Marinette reached over, gently patting her head.
"I'm going to miss you."
Marinette smiled softly, ignoring the lump in her throat.
"I'll miss you too Tiki."
It was habit, when someone told you that they missed you, it was customary to say it back. She regretted it, because Tiki looked up at her, her eyes filled with tears.
"That's just it Marinette. You won't miss me. Not at all."
Marinette pulled her hand away, looking back down at the journal. Guilt poked at her, and she shoved it back down. Yes, it wasn't fair to Tiki. Or anyone else. But what about her? What about Marinette? How was she supposed to live like this? The lies, the pain, the secrets? She couldn't do it anymore. Tiki got up, flying away to the other side of the room, where the miracle box was hidden. Marinette ripped out another page, setting it in a stack with the others. She stopped, scanning over a page about Adrien. It was the day he and Kagami had ditched that event with her. The day he told her she looked great with her hair down. Ladybug wasn't mentioned, so she decided to keep it. Maybe having a few pages in her diary dedicated to Adrien would push her back in his direction, if he even wanted that. She had said some awful things earlier. But they had to be said. She needed space. She didn't want him to give her a reason to back out of her decision. It was what was best.
"Honey?"
She scrambled to shove everything back into the box her diary was kept in, her heart pounding. She got the lid closed, just as her mother lifted the trapdoor.
"Hey, sorry to interrupt. Adrien is downstairs, he said Alya wanted him to bring you something."
What?
"Thanks. I'll be down soon."
She smiled, and her mom slipped back through the door, closing it behind her.
"Why the fuck is he here?"
She mumbled, sticking the diary box in one of her drawers. She marched down into the bakery with murder on her mind, and he turned, giving her that stupid award winning smile. It sent the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy, and she immediately looked away from him.
"Maman said you had something for me?"
He nodded, holding up a few sheets of paper.
"What you missed."
"Thanks."
She grabbed the papers and started back towards her bedroom, when her father held his hand out.
"Sorry Marinette, can you help clean up?"
She held her breath, nodding. Why not? Not like she had anything better to do.
"Are you guys closing? I was hoping to get a few things to go."
Adrien stepped up to the counter, grinning at her mother.
"Oh, of course! What would you like?"
"Just pick a few things for me, it's going to be my dinner."
She felt her cheeks warm, and she glared at him. He knew exactly what he was doing, didn't he?
"What? Why would it be your dinner?"
"My father's out of town. I've been doing take-out, but it's quickly losing it's charm, and I can't cook. So I thought where better to go get dinner than the finest bakery in all of Paris?"
Flattery. And she already knew it would work. Her mother was wearing a face full of pity.
"Why don't you stay here for dinner?"
Marinette closed her eyes, praying he said no. Though he wouldn't. He was playing all of the right cards and he knew it.
"Oh, I don't want to impose."
Oh, yes he did.
"You wouldn't be! We always fix more than we can eat in one sitting anyway, stay and have dinner."
Great.
"Thank you so much. That means alot Sabine."
Marinette turned around, focusing on wiping down one of the tables. She could kill him. No, she would kill him. He could lay on the charm with her mother all he wanted. It wasn't going to work with her.
"Need some help?"
She could feel his breath against her ear, and she didn't turn around, knowing he was right behind her.
"No thanks, I've got it."
She lifted up one of the chairs, stacking it on the table. He grabbed the other one before she could, doing the same thing with it.
"Gee, thanks."
She muttered under her breath, so her parents wouldn't hear her being rude to their guest.
"I missed you too princess."
He used it that time on purpose. She shot him a dirty look, before moving on to the next table. He followed along behind her, wearing a smirk.
"I've got a secret."
"I'm sure you do."
She snapped, quickly wiping the table down and grabbing the chair, flipping it on top of it. He grinned, watching her every move. Why was he in such a good mood?
"When you finish up, come set the table!"
Her dad called from the other room, and she grabbed the last chair, setting it up. Adrien stuck his hands in his pockets, walking towards the kitchen, where she had no choice but to follow. He waited by the cabinets for her, and she side stepped to get around him to the plates. They were having chicken for dinner, with plenty of sides. So thankfully, it was just plates. She pulled them out of the cabinet, ignoring when Adrien stepped closer, almost against her.
"Wanna know my secret Mari?"
"Not particularly."
She wasn't going to play along with whatever game he was doing. He made a humming sound, leaning down closer to her neck, and when he spoke it sent shivers coursing through her.
"I'm thinking of playing a game of capture the flag."
"What?"
Her voice came out as a squeak, and she hated him for it. She hadn't done that in what felt like forever, and she didn't want to start doing it again. She focused her gaze on the plates, not wanting to look at him, not when he was standing so close.
"Capture the flag. The aim of the game, is to capture the flag before your parents see it."
She looked at him then, and he took a step back. He almost seemed nervous. Or embarrassed? Why wasn't that coming off in his tone? He reached into his pocket, pulling out the edge of something bright red, and lacy. Her stomach dropped, remembering that the night she left his house, she had been in a rush, and had left her panties behind. A stupid mistake he was going to make her pay for.
"Hand them over."
She hissed, and he shook his head.
"No one just surrenders their flag Marinette. Come and get it."
She lunged for him, and he stepped out of her way, shaking his head.
"Oh, you're going to have to do much better than that if you want them back."
Her face burned hotter than the surface of a thousand suns, and she wanted nothing more than to burn him to death.
"I'm not playing your little game."
She stated, squaring her shoulders back. He glanced down at her chest, smiling as he looked back up at her.
"That's okay. I was actually thinking about getting them framed anyway."
"You wouldn't dare."
He chuckled, nodding.
"I so would. Unless of course you can get them back."
She managed to grab his wrist, and he pulled it up high, making her stumble against him.
"Well, hello."
He purred, and those butterflies caught flame, a fire starting in her stomach and working its way out. She reached her hand into his pocket, trying to find the lingerie. His pocket was empty, except for a bulge beneath the fabric, that he tensed when she brushed against it. She had just seen them in that pocket. When did he move it?
"Where is it?"
"Oh, these?"
He brought his other hand from behind his back, waving the red lace in front of her. He held his hands high up, where he knew she couldn't reach, and he wrapped the underwear around his wrist, wearing it like a bracelet. God he was so annoying.
"Marinette, have you set the table yet?"
Her mom called, and she felt her entire body get hot. If her parents saw him wearing that, right after she broke up with Chat, who knows what they would think? She pulled away from Adrien, grabbing the plates and heading over to the table. He slowly followed along behind, stretching his arms out.
"This actually looks pretty good on me, don't you think?"
He asked, taking his phone out, striking a pose, and taking a picture of himself, as well as the 'bracelet'.
"What are you doing?"
"I think I'm gonna post it. No one will know anyway."
Yes they would. It was red lace for crying out loud.
"That's it. Take it off."
She snapped, setting down the last plate.
"Oh, you're gonna have to ask alot nicer if you're trying to get me to take my panties off."
Despite her anger she snickered, and he grinned. She could play along, for a little while anyway.
"Oh Adrien..."
She whispered, her voice becoming as soft as the lace he had around his wrist. He seemed caught off guard by it, his grin fading.
"Say it again."
He almost looked to be in pain when he stepped closer, her skin burning at how close he was.
"What?"
"Say my name again."
He had her stomach in knots, and when his hands landed on her hips, she swooned. He said it like he needed to hear his name on her lips. And it was creating a need of her own. She couldn't act like this. She needed distance between them, so it would be easier on him when she did forget.
"Please."
He whispered, his thumbs slipping under the edge of her shirt, skimming across her skin.
"Adrien."
She said flatly, forcing herself to push him away. It was painful, and he stepped away from her, his hands dropping to his sides.
"I need to get utensils."
She muttered, heading for the silverware drawer. So playing along had immediately backfired. Who could've guessed? Her mother appeared beside her, pulling a pot off of the stove.
"Marinette, you're still not finished?"
"Almost done mom."
She almost snapped, barely catching herself in time. She walked back to the table, laying out forks and spoons. Adrien wasn't there anymore, he probably went somewhere to sulk. She grabbed a pair of scissors from the kitchen, walking over to the livingroom. There he was with her dad, playing ultimate mecha strike three again. She stopped in the doorway, staring at both of them. She took it all in, from the way his hair moved, to the way his eyebrows furrowed as he focused on the game. It was something she would forget, but maybe he would make new memories for her. It was awful, to give someone else a burden like that. But he could choose not to take it. He could walk out of her life. It would be his choice. She walked over, cutting the underwear off of his wrist. He died almost immediately, and her father laughed.
"She distracted me. Again. I'm starting to think you're in cahoots."
Adrien set his controller down on the couch, leaning his head back to look at her.
"It's not my fault she distracted you. I won fair and square."
She smiled, cramming the now ruined pair of panties into her pocket.
"I won."
"Cheating means you didn't really win."
He murmered, his eyes locked on hers. Beautiful green eyes, that meant the world to her. Soon, they would mean nothing, and that broke her heart more than anything else could have.