Some swearing because angry Mari is not an innocent Mari

"Milady, please, hear me out!" Chat Noir pleaded the spotted heroine, halting her retreat home after a long night of patrolling the city. She turned with a sigh, folding her arms.

"I've said this a million times, we can't know each others' identities! It puts us in danger if either of us ever get akumatised, and-"

"You know, you're starting to sound like a broken record." Chat narrowed his eyes as he cut Ladybug off, earning a startled, wide-eyed look from the young woman. She stared at him, watching as he paced. "I know it puts us in danger, I know you don't want to reveal yourself, but why? If we knew each other's identities, we could help each other if either of us had a bad day. If we knew each others identities, we wouldn't know how to contact the other if need be. If we knew each other's identities, I wouldn't have my heart broken every time we have this conversation because I already know who you are!"

Ladybug stood still as a statue, arms now hanging by her sides and gaze dropped. Chat was still fuming, barely able to look at her for longer than five seconds. He almost left when Ladybug's voice penetrated the silence.

"You say you love me but you only love a mask." She uttered, eyes blazing with an anger and sorrow unseen in her bluebell orbs before. Chat Noir scowled, the dying sparks of fury in his heart bursting into flame once more.

"You don't know that."

"Ah, but I do." She marched closer, stiff and intimidating, glaring up at him. "Of course I do, Adrien, because you never pay attention to the real me before Ladybug!" She didn't let his shock interrupt her words. "You are infatuated with an... an image of perfection, a hero! Do you really think I'm this brave, or this strong, or this smart underneath my mask? No! This is magic we're dealing with, you stupid cat, so don't think we aren't affected to be more efficient at what we do! You want a relationship with Ladybug-" She sneered, spitting out the name like it was sand in her mouth. "-and won't be happy with anyone else! Ladybug is not real! Ladybug does not have love interests, it gets in the way of my job! I can't protect my friends over someone who is in more danger simply because they're my friends. I can't show who I am to you over someone who deserves to know the truth!"

With eyes like slits and a frown on her lips, she leaped away with a flick of her wrist, not bothering to take a glance back at an equally angry hero who was recklessly running across rooftops towards his home.

~*~

"Did you hear? Ladybug and Chat Noir had a fight!" Alya exclaimed worriedly to her best friend, earning a blank look. "I hope they make up, I've been rooting for Ladynoir for so long!"

"Shouldn't you worry about their dynamic in battles from now on?" Marinette could barely keep herself from snarling, fed up with Alya's incessant obsession with the two superheros and their relationship. In fact, she was fed up with everything about Ladybug and Chat Noir. And Chat Noir himself. IE she was fed up with Adrien and was obviously avoiding him all day, and let her mind produce snarky comments on his 'little Mr. perfect" act.

"Okay Mar, what's wrong with you? You've been glaring at the ground every time Adrien walks past, and you look like you're trying hard not to explode." Alya folded her arms as Marinette lifted her head to stare into her eyes, startling the brunette with how much rage and weariness was whirling in her cerulean eyes.

With a huff, she dropped the charade and openly registered her inner turmoil. She crossed her arms, let that scowl work its way onto her face, narrowed her eyes and tapped her foot. "You are an inch away from pulling my pin. You want me to blow up like a grenade? Be my guest." She growled, watching as Alya took a step back.

"Oh look, Mari-trash has even scared off her one friend! What a loser." Followed by an obnoxious screech excuse for a laugh that sounded more like cats cackling than a human girl giggling.

Marinette's hands balled into fists as a wicked grin overcame her expression. "You pulled the pin. Now you get to watch me blow up." She said in a deceivingly calm voice, barely noticing Alya back away further. The blunette whirled on her heels and stomped across the courtyard towards where a certain blond was still snickering with Sabrina, drawing attention as if she were literally trailing fire.

Chloe finally opened her eyes to see the tiny girl seem like a giant, glowering from in front of her. She would be lying if she said she weren't scared. "Does Marinette think she can scare us! Ooh, I'm quaking in my heels." But liars will lie.

Marinette smiled a sickeningly sweet smile that practically screamed 'you fucked up.' "Listen to what I am about to say very closely Chloe." The smile turned twisted and angry as she threw flames from her bluebell eyes. "Your father cannot stop me from breaking your pretty porcelain face here and now, your 'daddy' can't do shit. I have happened to have had a very. Bad. Day. And I have absolutely nothing to lose. But you have your pride, your stupid reputation. I can do extremely bad things to you that really will make you quake in your heels. Like reveal your precious daddy's precious secrets, or your precious secrets to everyone. Like break your nose so it bleeds down and stains another set of clothes. I know everything, Chloe, and you know nothing. How does the song go?" She paused as if to think, but the thought was clearly already in her mind. "D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E. I see things that nobody else sees. I can ruin you and your father. So I have one thing to ask - do you like living like you are?"

Everyone silently stared at the flaming Dupain-Cheng girl, stared at the palest Bourgeois girl they've ever seen shaking in her heels, stared as Chloe ran and Marinette stormed out of the school, flipping off everyone behind her.

Adrien recognised that rage.

In the echoing silence, he chuckled to himself, slipping into the shadows to pay a certain bug a visit.

~*~

"What the hell do you want?"

Marinette was very not amused when Chat Noir jumped into her room. He gave her a smirk as he took in her bare walls.

"You changed your decorations, Princess. Did something happen with your prince?" He said mockingly, causing her to fume even further.

"I don't need a prince, or a knight, and especially not you." She turned away, a frown tugging at her lips. She absently picked up the one picture she couldn't bear to throw out, stroking the frame with her thumb. It was taken by Alya, and featured all four friends in it after they were ice-skating. Their cheeks and noses were rosy from the cold, and they had the hugest and goofiest grins on their faces. That was the first day of her finally speaking to Adrien without stuttering. Her frown melted away into a sad smile, wishing she could take it all back, but at the same time not. She glanced over her shoulder, expression darkening once more, but her voice held the truth of her emotions with its softer and sorrowful tone. "Aren't you going to go?"

He caught that tone. It was an extremely familiar tone, often used by himself. It held regret, sadness, acceptance and an overwhelming weariness. He took a step forward instinctively, reaching an arm towards her, anger melting away as he hesitated.

"Damn it, Adrien, just leave already! Why stay in the same room as someone you ha... someone you..." She trembled where she stood, mask wavering, swinging like grass in the wind before she collapsed on the floor, hugging her arms and tremors wracking her body. Chat Noir was in front of her in a second, wrapping his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her, and she surprisingly softened in his arms, leaning into him and completely relaxing.

"Mar, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you." He murmured into her hair, relenting after their argument. "I just... I had my suspicions, and I had started to fall for the princess in her tower, and I didn't... I didn't want to have to choose."

Marinette continued to sob, eyes squeezed shut as tears burned paths down her cheeks. Her fists clenched against his chest, weakly hitting him. "You... you stupid... cat... making me... so... confused..." Her mouth trembled, pulled in a delicate frown.