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Soul Marks	By : Cat_Eyes Category: +M through R > Miraculous LadyBug Views: 2395 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc and released by Zag studios. No profit was made writing this story.

Chapter List
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Marinette put on her favourite pyjamas that night, her pink track pants and the dotted tank top she had made herself. As often as she and Alya slept over at each other's houses, Alya had never seen these pyjamas before. While they were cute and comfortable, the low cut top showed her soul mark in all its dubious glory.
Marinette frowned. If Tikki knew how she felt, she would be extremely disappointed. Tikki was a firm believer in the sanctity and unity of soul marks, and often encouraged Marinette to give Chat Noir a chance. Marinette had wanted to, too. In the months since she had met him, Chat Noir had proven himself to be a remarkable person. He was selfless, supportive, and endlessly kind. Yet a loathsome little part of her mind insisted on Adrien.
Marinette knew Adrien wasn't hers. Her mark clearly indicated Chat Noir, and whatever Adrien's mark was, he certainly didn't associate it with her. Even with her conflicted and misplaced feelings, she knew she ought to give up on Adrien and focus on Chat Noir. But, he was fatuous and fake with Ladybug, so she had decided to put a little more distance between herself and Chat Noir. She needed space to sort out her feelings for Adrien, and to give Chat Noir some freedom as well. If he truly was an Anti-Marker, he wouldn't want to be around her any longer than necessary.
Feeling her eyes prickle, Marinette climbed up her ladder and out to her balcony. She needed peace and fresh air without the knowledge that Tikki awaited her, wanting to talk about her soulmate issues, again. Coming out to her balcony while Tikki slept was her only respite, some nights, since Tikki was always trying to get her to talk things out, even before Marinette was ready. Marinette loved Tikki, but sometimes, she just wanted to get away from her.
Marinette slumped into her deck chair, consumed by self-loathing. Adrien wasn't hers, but Chat Noir was. She ought to be happy with what the universe gave her, and be thankful for Tikki's unerring guidance.
As she leaned back and closed her eyes, Marinette thought she ought to stop being so selfish. Adrien wasn't hers and Chat Noir didn't want to be hers. If his flirtations were genuine, then all she was doing was hurting him and depressing herself. Chat Noir wore his heart on his sleeve, but sometimes, Marinette wondered if he were faking it.
'Idiot,' she berated herself as she wiped her eyes. These circling thoughts were getting her nowhere.
'I'm offended, Princess.'
Marinette jumped, almost leaping out of her seat at the unexpected voice. She glared at Chat Noir, wondering how long he'd been there and why she hadn't heard him land. Despite his namesake, he was not light footed.
He grinned at her. 'You shouldn't call your knight names, you know.'
Marinette sat up straight and continued to scowl at him. 'I wasn't talking about you. What are you even doing here?'
Chat Noir shrugged. 'I just saw you out here and wondered if you wanted to talk for a while.'
She should have known she wouldn't get peace and quiet for long. Of course, he wanted to talk; that's all anyone wanted to do.
Resigned, Marinette shuffled her chair around until she was facing him. Then, she raised an eyebrow expectantly. 'So, what did you want to talk about?'
Chat Noir slithered off the rail and sat in a tailor's position on the floor. He hummed as he thought about what to say. 'Have you found your soulmate yet?' he asked.
Marinette closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. 'Next question.'
He looked surprised for a moment before moving on. 'Ok, how's school going?'
Between her steadily dropping grades, her already dismal math scores, and being surrounded by couples, Marinette didn't want to think about school, either. 'Try again,' she told him.
Chat Noir drew back, eyes wide. 'The weather's been nice, lately,' he commented, tentatively.
Marinette's shoulders slumped and her hands fell into her lap. 'I'm sorry. Soulmates are a touchy subject and I'm besieged by them at school. Combine that with my crappy grades, and you aren't left with too many conversational avenues.'
She looked up at Chat Noir when he didn't answer, to see him staring at a point below her chin.
'Hey, my eyes are up here,' she snapped, clicking her fingers to get his attention.
Still focussed on her chest, he pointed at her left breast with his mouth working soundlessly. Marinette looked down instinctively, to see that her mark was on full display. Quickly, she yanked the neck of her top up to cover it.
'You're my Soulmate?' he asked, quietly, looking up at her.
Marinette couldn't look at him. She blushed and turned away, still holding her top in place.
'You don't like me.'
It wasn't a question.
Slowly turning back to him, Marinette said, 'it's not that I don't like you. I just don't really know you, and I guess I assumed you were an Anti-Marker.' Reluctantly, Marinette realised she owed him the truth. 'I've also come to like someone else.'
It was almost the whole truth. Tikki had told her that no one can know she's Ladybug, and Marinette assumed that included Chat Noir. It wasn't fair, to either of them, but when it came to the safety of her friends and family, Marinette wasn't going to take any chances. Chat Noir had proven that they could be overtaken by Papillon's minions already.
'Why on Earth would you think I was an Anti-Marker?' he asked, astounded.
Marinette fumbled for a reasonable answer. 'Well, from what I've seen on the Ladyblog, it looks like you're mocking Ladybug when you flirt with her,' she answered, blushing as she turned away once more.
Chat Noir blinked at her, mouth agape. 'I'm not. I'm not an Anti-Marker or mocking Ladybug,' he said, a light blush spreading across his face. He groaned and rubbed his face, despairingly. 'At least, you're not the only one guilty of liking someone else. So, don't feel too bad about that.'
Marinette looked at him properly then, drawing in a quiet breath. 'What do you mean?' she asked.
Chat Noir gave a half shrug and picked at the soles of his boots. 'I've admired Ladybug greatly since the day we met. I've always been a hopeless romantic, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that those feelings grew.'
Marinette was shocked. 'I thought you were just teasing,' she blurted.
Chat Noir looked up at her in mild surprise, one eyebrow raised.
'You know Alya, the Ladyblogger, is my best friend, right? She makes me watch all her videos. I always thought your flirting was too embellished to be sincere,' she clarified, arms waving erratically.
A look of hopeless realisation crept across Chat Noir's face. 'Is that why she doesn't like me? She didn't think I was genuine?' Chat Noir squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. 'Not that it matters. She's not my soulmate. I shouldn't think about her anymore.'
Marinette reached out to him, but pulled back before she touched him. 'To be fair, I've not been any better. I've been wanting someone I can't have to notice me for ages now. Plus, there's no guarantee that my mark means you. Maybe he's someone who works in a cat café and really likes green tea.'
Chat Noir huffed a sceptical laugh. 'I think you're grabbing at straws there, Princess.'
'Yeah, I don't believe that, either. What makes you so sure, though?
Chat Noir straightened and shuffled over to her on his knees. Kneeling in front of her, he reached up to grab his bell, the zipper beneath sliding open as he pulled. Once it was low enough, he peeled one side of his suit away from his skin to reveal a little pink needle and thread on his chest, right over his heart. 'I've been so confused for a while now. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't put it all together before now.'
Marinette smiled in spite of herself as she leaned in to look. 'It's, actually, kind of cute,' she said. 'I knew it would be pink.'
Chat Noir pulled his zipper back up and sat on his heels. Regarding her carefully, he said, 'I know neither of us are ready to start a relationship right now. But, maybe we could try being friends?'
Marinette kept her smile in place, even as the guilt began to gnaw at her.
'I'd like that,' she replied.
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Soul Marks