Chapter Text
Marinette and Cat Noir were once again hanging out on Marinette’s balcony. Ever since they first met and confided in each other about the unrequited love in their respected lives they had formed a strong bond of friendship on this roof. Cat Noir had returned regularly to share his frustration about Ladybug’s disinterest in him. Marinette had done her best to comfort him and occasionally vented about her inability to confess her love.
Marinette always felt a little guilty, because she knew that her secret hero identity was the reason for Cat Noir’s frustration. But she genuinely did her best to help him deal with his feelings and even attempted to encourage him to move on from her, though without success so far.
And she really appreciated the chance to talk with Cat Noir, a person she trusted a lot, about the frustrations in her personal life, without the danger of revealing her secret identity and without his feelings for her getting in the way.
Similarly, Cat Noir felt a little conflicted about having this friendship with Marinette in two different identities without her knowing. He was lying to a trusted friend and putting her in an unfair position. But she was the only person who he could go to with his problems as Cat Noir. The only other option would have been Ladybug herself, but she was the source of his frustration.
“You should just finally confess to this boy,” Cat Noir said once again. “This whole thing about you wanting to tell him and then never doing it is getting old.”
“Don’t you think I know that!” Marinette responded, gesticulating wildly with her hands. “I genuinely mean to do it as well. Every time. But something always gets in the way.”
Cat Noir jumped up and walked around while talking. “Your problem is that you get hung up on trying to make your confession perfect. If he wants to go out with you, he will. Do you really want to sacrifice months or even years of a potential relationship with him, just to wait for that one perfect moment that will never come?”
Marinette was taken aback. She hadn’t realized that is what she was doing. In waiting for that one perfect moment, she was sacrificing countless potential perfect moments at Adrien’s side.
“But what if he says no?” she countered. “It would hurt so much.”
“It does. I know.” Cat Noir responded wistfully and Marinette had to suppress a guilty look. “But then you know and can deal with it. You’d finally have certainty and could take your own advice (which I never take) and move on. Besides, I’m sure he’ll say yes. You’re a great girl and every boy would be happy to have you.”
Silence fell over them as Marinette pondered his words. Then she made the decision. It was a decision she had made many times before, but this time felt different. This time she knew she would actually do it.
“I’m going to ask him tomorrow.”
Cat Noir smiled confidently. He believed her. “Good.”