7- Nightmares and Confessions

Marinette's POV

I walk home, alone, and take the long way. My parents are sleeping, and I'm always quiet coming in, so I'm not worried about them catching me. Though, before I was Ladybug and could sneak in through my balcony. Now I have to go through the front door. I hear a sound and turn around fast, my eyes darting across the dark street as my heart races and pounds against my chest and rings in my heart. I see a cat run out of the alley and my breathing calms.

It was just a cat. It was just a stupid— "AHHH!"

Cat Noir drops down in front of me and out of instinct I slap him across the face. "OW! What happened to friendly greetings, Princess?"

"Don't do that!" I scream, smacking his chest as my chest tightens and tears well in my eyes. I thought he was Hawkmoth. "Not after... just don't do that."

"I'm sorry, Marinette. I didn't mean to scare you." He stares at me with a sad smile. "Are you okay? Did something happen—"

My eyes widen. "Have you been following me?!"

He shakes his head fast. "No, I promise! I was just... out, I swear. This is my first time seeing you tonight."

A sense of relief washes over me. "Oh. Good."

"Why are you walking around Paris—alone—at one am?" He shows me the time on his staff-phone. "Isn't it past your bedtime, young lady?"

I roll my eyes. As I keep walking, Cat Noir falls into step beside me. "I just needed some fresh air and wandered too far. I don't have my phone on me, otherwise I would have asked my parents to pick me up."

"Need a lift?"

I shake my head with a laugh. "No, thank you. I actually just want to walk right now."

"That's cool." Cat Noir starts swinging his staff around, trying to impress me, I bet. "I'll walk with you."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't," I admit, smiling, but it quickly fades into a frown. "How's your night going?"

He stares ahead, frowning. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter keeping it a secret anymore. Ladybug isn't going to be Ladybug anymore. She has to... go away for a while." He side eyes me, adding, "So it's just going to be me for a while."

"Oh, wow, that's a bummer," I whisper before realizing what I said. "No! That's not what I meant! I'm sorry. You're wonderful, Cat Noir. I-I just meant that it's sad Ladybug will be gone."

Cat Noir grins at me. "You think I'm wonderful, Princess? Please, tell me more."

I glare at him. "You think you're the shit, don't you?"

He nods. "I am the shit."

We finally reach my street and stand outside the front door of the bakery. I slap my pockets, gasping. "Of course I forgot my keys, too." Before I can knock, Cat Noir scoops me in his arm, extending his staff, and raises us to my balcony. "You always find a solution to everything, Cat Noir."

"It's a gift." Cat Noir sets me down and hangs back on the railing. "Your eyebags are getting bags. Get some sleep. Promise me."

Yawning, I lift my pinky, whispering, "I promise to try and get some sleep, Cat Noir."

He wraps his finger around mine. "Can't argue with that. Goodnight, Marinette. See you around!" His voice echoes away as he jumps off, leaping away to who knows where.

"Does Cat Noir seem a little goofy to you tonight, Tikki?" I ask, laughing. I wait for a response before my eyes widen and I realize. Wow. This is going to absolutely suck.

I yawn again. Time for bed. Creeping open the trap door, I slowly step on the bed, coming down the stairs.

As I turn around to grab my pajamas, I scream and my eyes widen. I jump back and my side hits my desk, knocking over my sewing machine.

Hawkmoth stands in the middle of my room, staring me down with an angry, impatient glare. "I'm only going to ask this once, Miss Dupain-Cheng." He aims his cane at me. "Hand over your miraculous."

"H-How did you get in here?" I ask, glancing around, searching for something to protect me. Without my miraculous, I'm vulnerable. I could scream for my parents, but what good what that do me when Hawkmoth is only a few feet away from me? "Get out of my room!"

Hawkmoth takes another step towards me and I trip and fall into the staircase leading to my bed. "I want those earrings. Now!"

"You really think I'd be stupid enough to keep them?" I ask with wide eyes. "I-I don't have them."

"Tell me where they are." Hawkmoth takes another step, raising his cane. "Now, before this becomes messy."

Grabbing the closest thing near me, which happens to be a pillow, I throw it at him, and dart up the stairs, back outside. I try to move one of the potted plants to keep it shut, but the trap door swings open, hitting me in the face, and I go flying back against the railing. My head bounces off the metal and I feel blood trickle down my cheek. Eyes wide and absolutely terrified, I scoot back until I hit the railing.

Hawkmoth stands over me, holding the end of his cane against my throat as he forces me to look at him. "Why are you making this so difficult? Tell me where you put those earrings!"

"I-I don't know," I tell him, whimpering in fear. A headache pounds against my skull. I want everything to stop hurting. My vision blurs a little as I stare at him. "I swear, I don't know."

Hawkmoth raises his cane. "Maybe this will refresh your memory."

I prepare for the worst as Hawkmoth swings, but his cane slams against Cat Noir's staff as it shoots down from above. The black leathered hero jumps to my rescue, punching and kicking Hawkmoth away from me. In a second, I'm in his arms, and in the next we're racing across rooftop after rooftop. His arms are tight against me.

"I'll get what I'm looking for, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Hawkmoth's voice fades behind us.

The wind dries my tears as Cat Noir keeps running. I don't know how long he runs, but shortly he stops and sneaks us to the roof of the mayor's hotel. He climbs the side of the building, avoiding open windows, and sets me down on one of the lawn chairs. He kneels down in front of me, already grabbing my hands. They shake like crazy. "Marinette, are you okay?"

I want to speak, but my throat is closed tight and all I can do is cry. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. I close my eyes and imagine Adrien standing in front of me, telling me those exact words. "H-Hawkmoth was in my room. He was..." How do I even begin to explain this to him?

Cat Noir pushes sticky hair out of my face, holding my face in his hand. Something changes in his eyes when he notices the blood. "He hurt you?"

Wiping under my eyes, I look down at my hands, and sigh. "I ran to my balcony, and tried to keep the trap door shut, but it came flying and hit me in the face."

"Stay here. I'm going to find a first aid kit." Cat Noir takes off inside the hotel and not even thirty seconds later he's back. "That was easy." He opens the metal box and starts cleaning up my wound. "Hold still. This might sting a little." Cat Noir's right. The alcohol stings against my open skin. I wince a little, but try to hide it as he starts wiping the blood off. "What did Hawkmoth want from you, anyway? What was so important that he had to hide in your room?"

What do I tell him? "Hawkmoth found out I'm one of Ladybug's friends after her identity was exposed. He thinks I know where her miraculous is."

"Oh, you know Ladybug?" Cat Noir asks, taping a bandage over the cut. He taps it, grinning. "I didn't realize you were close with the bug."

"Yeah, we even have matching bracelets," I joke, shoulders shaking as I start crying again.

Cat Noir doesn't say anything, which I'm thankful for, and he closes the first aid kit. "It's not safe for you to stay at your house anymore. Hawkmoth could come back at any time. He will do everything in his power to get you to talk."

"Where else am I supposed to go?" I ask, looking up at him with fresh-teared eyes. "He could hurt my family, my friends."

Cat Noir helps me stand. "I have a friend who'd be willing to help you out."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Oh, really?"

He nods. "Yeah, honest." After picking me up, he starts heading back to my house. "I'll take you home so you can pack your things, then I'll take you to my friend."

"Do I know him?"

"Of course," Cat Noir answers. "What, you think I'd leave you with a stranger? I hear you two are really good friends."

I wonder who that could be.

Cat Noir peeks down in my room after we reach my balcony. "Hawkmoth's gone. It's safe." He lowers himself into my room, grabbing my hand, and guides me down, careful not to trip me.

I grab my suitcase from under my desk and open it, only putting my most important things in. My clothes, my laptop, my toothbrush and toothpaste (of course), and my sketchbook. I zip the suitcase up and roll it over by the trap door. "I'm exhausted, Cat Noir, so I think I'm gonna stay here tonight. Besides, I'll have to tell my parents something for why I'm leaving."

Cat Noir nods. "No. That's smart."

I walk over, expecting to show him out, but he just stands there. "So... you can come back... in the morning... to pick me up. I should be ready by then."

Cat Noir starts laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"That joke you just made."

I cross my arms. "I was serious. I don't need you to babysit me."

"Marinette, you were just attacked by Hawkmoth!" Cat Noir reminds me, climbing up on my bed to lock the sky window. He eyes the pictures of Adrien on the wall and I feel my cheeks glowing red in embarrassment. "No way am I leaving you alone now."

"But what about your civilian life?" I ask, gesturing to his costume. "Won't your parents worry if you don't come home?"

Cat Noir jumps down from my bed, frowning. "Trust me. He won't even notice I'm gone."

My heart sinks. "Oh... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It's not your fault..." Cat Noir shrugs, his shoulders falling with his sad smile. "It's getting late. You should probably get some sleep."

As if for perfect timing, I yawn. "Yeah. You're right." Another yawn. I tiptoe downstairs to my bathroom and change, quickly brushing my teeth. I let my hair out of the pigtails, running my hairbrush through my tangles.

Before heading back to my room, I make a pitstop to the kitchen and get Cat Noir some milk and cookies. "I brought this for you in case you get hungry." I set it on the desk.

"Thank you, Marinette." He grabs and eats a cookie. "You're always so thoughtful of others. That's one of the things I admire about you."

Is... Cat Noir making me blush? No, impossible. Only Adrien can do that. I climb up the stairs, crawling into bed, and immediately wrap myself in the blanket, cocooning myself. The light turns off and I scream, jumping to the railing. "Uh, Cat Noir, can you turn the light back on? Please? I don't want to sleep in the dark tonight."

"Of course. Sorry." Cat Noir turns the light back on. "Better?"

I nod, trying not to cry. Laying back down, I stare down at my hands, shaking, and hide them under the covers. "Will you talk to me until I fall asleep? Just so I know you're actually here?"

"Anything you want." Cat Noir climbs up and sits at the end of the mattress, leaning his back against the wall. He keeps glancing up at the sky window, double checking that it's still locked. "What do you want me to talk about?"

"I don't know, anything," I whisper, yawning, lifting my head to look at him. He stares back at me with those big, green kitty cat eyes of his. I smile. "Talk about whatever you feel like talking about."

Cat Noir looks down at his ring. "Hmm..."

"You probably need to feed your kwami, right?" I ask, sitting up so I can grab my eye mask, and put it on. "Here. I'll wear this. Your secret identity is safe with me."

"Thanks, Mari," He says, laughing. "Plagg, claws in."

I'm hoping Plagg knows how to keep a secret. If Cat Noir finds out I know his kwami, he'll definitely know I'm Ladybug. Or used to be, anyway.

"I'm Plagg, Cat Noir's kwami," Plagg "introduces" to me, patting my face with his paw.

"Marinette. Nice to meet you, Plagg." I shake his tiny arm. "There's some cookies on the desk if you're hungry."

"I love you already."

I smile to myself as Plagg leaves, and I can hear him devouring the cookies. "There's more in the kitchen if you're still hungry."

"Plagg, you pig!" Cat Noir shouts, the bed moving as he stands up and climbs down. "I don't care if you want more cookies... you could wake Marinette's parents! How are we supposed to explain a flying magical cat creature?"

"But I'm hungry!" Plagg whines.

Leaning over the bed, I point down towards my desk, telling him, "I almost forgot. I baked some macaroons this morning. They should be in the top right drawer."

"Found them!" Plagg cheers as he raids my desk.

I feel the bed shift under Cat Noir's weight as he climbs back on the bed. "Sorry about Plagg. He can be a real pig sometimes."

"I don't mind. I have a lot of food to share." Laying on my back, I stare up at the ceiling, which is pointless because all I can see is the inside of my eye mask. There's a million things on my mind right now and sleep isn't one of them. "Okay. Go on. Talk about whatever you want to talk about. Something you've been dying to tell someone."

"Well..." Cat Noir takes in a deep breath. "If I'm being honest, my home life isn't the best. Everyone I know thinks I'm living the most luxurious lifestyle. Nothing but money, parties, and expensive clothes. All that rich people stuff. But no one realizes how lonely it is. This lifestyle, I never wanted it. I never asked for it. Sure, I have nice things and I'm grateful for what I have, but it doesn't make up for the neglect and emotional abuse." I hear him softly sob to himself. "I'm sorry. You probably don't want to hear me rant about my life, right?"

I shake my head. "No, I don't mind. It's making me sleepy." I yawn. "But I'm listening, though. I'll always... be here to... listen." My head falls to the side as I let sleep welcome me.

Adrien's POV

Marinette dozes off to sleep. Finally. After what she's dealt with the last couple weeks, she deserves it. I fight back a yawn as I struggle to stay awake, keeping my eyes glued on the sky window. Hawkmoth could come attack at any moment and I need to be ready. No matter what, I will always protect Marinette. Always.

"Shouldn't you go to sleep, too?" Plagg whispers, floating to me with a croissant in his hand. That stupid cat went to her kitchen after I told him not to. Why am I not surprised? "It's not good for you to stay up all night."

"What if Hawkmoth comes back?" I ask, careful to keep my voice low to not wake Marinette. "If I'm sleeping, who's here to protect her?"

Plagg finishes the last bite. "Kid, it's almost two am. I'm sure Hawkmoth has to sleep, too. Besides, if he were going to come back, I think he would have done so already."

I glance over at Marinette and watch her sleep. Her breathing evens out as she lays there peacefully. A smile grows on my face. "Why do you think Master Fu told me to give some space to my friends?" I ask Plagg. "It felt like he was telling me to stay away from Marinette, specifically."

"Don't hurt yourself worrying about it," My kwami replies, completely ignoring my concerns. "I don't understand everything that old man says and I'm perfectly okay with that. I don't understand anything half the time anyway. Like, why you like going to school, or why Marinette keeps these posters of you all over her walls, or why—"

"I get it, Plagg," I snap, glaring at him. "You're clueless is what you're saying."

"Hey, no need to be mean." Plagg crosses his arms and turns around. "Kwamis have feelings, too, you know."

I scratch the top of Plagg's head. "I'm sorry, buddy. I'm just... emotionally distanced from myself right now."

"How do you think I feel?" He answers. "Sugarcube's gone and I can only see her if I visit Master Fu."

"You'll see Tikki again, I promise." I pat his head as Plagg starts to purr. "When Hawkmoth attacks Paris again and finds a replacement for Ladybug..." That last part I'm not happy about

Plagg headbutts my hand. "That's not cheering me up."

"Sorry," I whisper, laughing. "Trust me, I'm not ready for a new Ladybug, either. No one else can replace Milady."

"You got that right, kid," He whispers, turning to stare at Marinette. He frowns. "No one can replace her."

My back starts cramping and I quickly jump down the stairs to stretch. I spread my legs apart, take in a deep breath, and practice some new yoga moves my new personal trainer taught me. My father hired someone to keep track of my health. What I eat, how much I eat, when I exercise, when I sleep, how much sleep I'm getting. It's annoying and so invasive. But, I had to admit, the yoga has really helped with body aches, especially after a long day of protecting Paris. I bend down, stretching my back, and Plagg flies to my face, floating upside down to make eye contact with me. "Have you ever heard of personal space, Plagg?" I ask, reaching up to scratch his chin.

"I thought you were staying guarded at the door, Mr. Marinette's Knight-in-Shining armor," He teases. "Keeping your eyes glued to the sky door all night?"

"Well, maybe you're right, Plagg," I admit, straightening my back as I raise my arms above me. "Hawkmoth must sleep, too, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave Marinette alone. My back did get a cramp from leaning against the wall, though." I stare up at Marinette's bed. "Maybe I can keep watch down here."

Plagg shrugs. "You do you, kid. I'm going to get more food."

Before I can stop him, he's already phased through the floor. I shake my head, laughing, and make myself comfortable on the chaise. My head falls back against the pillow as I keep dozing off. No. I need to stay awake. Marinette needs me.

"No..." Marinette starts whispering to herself, shifting in her sleep. My ears perk up and I try to listen. "No. Get out of my room, Hawkmoth!" She starts screaming and shaking violently. I dart up the stairs, dragging the blanket off, and I start shaking her shoulders. "No!"

"Marinette! Mari, it's me!" I tap her face a few times and as she rips off the eye mask, I pull her in for a hug so she doesn't see my face. "Hey. It's Cat Noir. I'm here. It's okay. You were just having a nightmare."

Sobbing, Marinette throws her arms around my neck and cries into my shirt. "Oh, kitty..." She whispers, trying to control her breathing. "I-I was so scared. I thought it was real. I thought Hawkmoth was back and—"

"It's okay." I start rubbing her back and hold her tighter. "I promise everything is going to be okay."

She reaches for the eye mask and puts it back on. She adjusts herself and leans against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest, sniffling. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"I wasn't sleeping," I admit, scratching the back of my neck, and scoot closer to her. "I have a lot on my mind right now."

"That makes two of us," She whispers, smiling at me. With a shaky hand, she reaches out for mine, and squeezes it. "W-Will you stay with me until I fall asleep again?"

"Of course." Marinette scoots over, making room for me, and I lay down beside her. We're face to face. I finally notice her facemask. It has whiskers and little cat ears. "You like cats?" I tease, tapping her eye mask.

"Only one," She mumbles, feeling my face until she taps my nose. She yawns. "My one and only Cat Noir."

God, she's so cute when she's tired. There's a huge smile on my face as I stare at her. Good thing Plagg's eating everything in her kitchen, otherwise he'd definitely make fun of me right now. "Tell me more about how much you love me, Marinette."

"I don't love you, Cat Noir," She whispers, adjusting to get comfortable. I frown. She reminds me of Ladybug. Wait, but what about that time when her dad got akumatized? When she admitted she was in love with me? Did she lie or did she finally move on? "I like you. I'm in love with somebody else."

My ears perk at this. Marinette is in love with someone else? Of course. It has to be Luka. Still, curiosity gets the best of me and I ask, "Who do you love, Marinette?"

"Oh, he's amazing," Marinette yawns, a smile breaking through her face. "You'd like him. He's really kind... and sweet... and..." She starts dozing off. "Amazing."

"What's his name?"

"Mmm..." She wraps her arms around the pillow, confessing, "Adrien Agreste."

My eyes widen. "What?!" I stare at her, confused, waiting for her to say something else, but she doesn't. "Marinette?" I try shaking her shoulder, but she's out cold. Did Marinette really say she was in love with Adrien Agreste? In love with me? No. She's obviously sleep deprived. She doesn't mean it.

Why am secretly happy she said my name, though?

Plagg finally comes back to the room, carrying a handful of treats, and drops them on the bed. "Don't worry. I'll eat the crumbs, too."

"Marinette just confessed her love to me," I admit, not able to take my eyes off of her.

"What?" Plagg asks, almost choking on his food. "You're probably hallucinating."

"I swear, Plagg. We were talking and I asked who she was in love with and she said..." I take in a deep breath. "My name. My real name."

Plagg flies over. "Wait, what?! She finally admitted that?"

I look up at Plagg. "Yeah, Marinette just said it. No second thoughts or anything." My eyes shift back to her. "Do you think she meant it, Plagg, or she's just... dreaming?"

"I..." Plagg looks back and forth between Marinette and I, pouting. "She's probably just dreaming, kid. I wouldn't get my hopes up."

I figured. My thoughts exactly.