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He isn't expecting the slap to the face.
Chat Noir reels back, nearly slipping in the slick rain. He cradles his reddening cheek with one hand as he grips the railing pressing into his back with the other. His wide green eyes lock against blue, blue of an ocean so so angry and so so hurt, so ready to drown someone in their despair. Marinette stares at him, seeming to ignore the tears dripping from her cheeks. Her hair is pressed flat against her face and her tiny frail body shakes with the force of her sobs, yet her eyes never leave his. He wonders if she's even registering her emotions. Her voice, however, betrays the depth of her feelings. It's thick and quiet and damp and sharp and so raw and hurt and it pierces Chat right through his chest.
“You tricked me.”
He steps forward, horror crawling up his throat at the accusation and the knowledge that she is absolutely right. “Marinette, no, I didn't, I never-”
“Be quiet!”
He ears flatten to his head and he instantly falls silent, unable to deny his lady of anything. Marinette steps forward, her steeled expression faltering as Chat leans away. It quickly hardens once more and her fists clench at her side.
“This whole time,” she whispers, a sob clogging up her throat. Marinette raises a hand to wipe furiously at her eyes, the other whipping up to stop Chat Noir when he takes a step closer. A whimper builds in his throat as Marinette shifts to hug herself tightly, her nails digging into her arms. “This whole time, Adrien Agreste,” He flinches at the use of his real name. Ladybug- no, Marinette, that's everything she's upset about, idiot- pays no mind, “I thought I was finally being noticed because by you because it was me, plain old boring Marinette, when really-”
She sobs, curling in on herself. Rain trails down her jaw, dripping off her chin and her pigtails and her bangs and from under her eyes. Her voice quivers. “I'm still nothing to you. Just the weird girl in class who could never talk to you, who just so happens to be the girl behind the mask. All those nights spilling my heart out to Chat... Those days where Adrien actually seemed to be able to ignore my awkwardness and try to hold a conversation with me...” She shakes her head, more talking to herself than the drowned cat before her. Rain flies off of her from the movement. “I'm such a fool! Of course Chat Noir wouldn't hang out with me unless he knew who I was. Of course Adrien wouldn't pay me any mind when I was just another girl willing to hang off his arm. O-of course you didn't care about me... Boring worthless Marinette couldn't be so lucky.”
Chat takes another step forward as Marinette collapses into one of the the plastic chairs on her balcony. He kneels beside her, his hands shaking as he sets them over her knee. He has caused his lady such distress... “That's not it at all, Princess, I promise. Yes, it was Ladybug that lead me to you, but after that it was all you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng that caught my attention, I swea-”
“Don't bother with that, Chat Noir.” The emotionless, unbending steel in her voice is back, matching the coldness of the gaze that meets Chat's when she raises her head. She shoves him off, standing. “Do you think I'm stupid? It wasn't Marinette you fell for and it wasn't Marinette who made you stay. Adrien never gave me the time of day before you found me out, no more than he did any other fan, and then he did and I was so so happy but it was as much of a lie as Ladybug is!”
Chat gapes up at Marinette as she tenses, pressing her hands to her face. “I wear Ladybug the same way you wear Adrien. Both a major part of our personality, just not... who we truly are.” She lowers her hands and all he can see is those soft blue eyes he loves so much. He can barely hear her voice over the sound of the rain. “I'm so sorry you fell so hard for the lie, kitty.”
Marinette turn on her heel and walks towards the door, avoiding his gaze all the while. Chat's mouth is dry and he searches for the words that will make her stay. His chest is heaving and he can't hear his own thoughts. Salt lingers on his tongue as he opens his mouth, reaching out pitifully for his princess's retreating figure with a shaking limb. Green light skitters down his arm as he releases the transformation, too emotionally exhausted to handle the pride invested in the suit.
“You're the first person I ever considered a true friend,” he whispers, hoping against hope that he'll be lucky for once and she'll hear him and listen and turn around. “Not Ladybug, but Marinette... It was storming like this and...”
He trails off, his heart leaping into his throat as she pauses. “...I meed some time to think. Please don't come back or approach me at school until I say you can.”
Then she leaves.
The firm slam of the door resonates in Adrien's head. He is alone on the balcony, save Plagg, who hovers nearby in confusion. Rain drums heavily around and against him, chilling him to the bone. Plagg slowly flies to rest comfortingly in his hair as Adrien tilts his head back, allowing his tears to mingle with the rain that isn't quite loud enough to drown out his sobs.