Chapter Text
Marinette dashed up to her room, barely speaking to her mother and father in the bakery down below. She couldn’t form words- even with the train ride back, her heart was still pounding, and she could feel her stomach clench and roll with every thought swimming in her head. Her soulmate was Chat Noir; who else could it possibly say that many cat puns in one sentence? Besides, she remembered very clearly when they first met. He had knocked her down and out of the way of an akuma attack, spouting overconfidence and puns.
“Marinette?” Tikki called out as the girl closed the latch behind her, “Are you alright? You look so pale!” The little red kwami flutter about, concern etched on her face.
Marinette opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came. She closed her lips, turned her face away, before forcing out an “It’s okay, Tikki, I’m just…tired. I’m gonna go shower and take a nap.” She moved to grab a towel and a change of clothes, never making eye contact with the kwami as she fluttered about. It was hard to not just let it all out, to not vent to Tikki all the thoughts rolling around in her head, but where was Marinette to even start?
So, she took an escape; down to her bathroom, hoping the warm waters would sort her thoughts better than the train ride. For a while, Marinette went through the motions- she laid out her clothes on the toilet, placed her towel on the rack and stepped under the warm water, letting it wash away the sand and grit from her skin and hair.
Chat Noir was her soulmate. That was an absolute truth Marinette knew and accepted. He didn’t make her heart race like thinking about Adrien did, but that kitty was hers all the same; he was her friend, her partner. She trusted him with her life, and she had his back as much as he did hers.
But…Adrien. Adrien obviously had her handwriting on his chest. Unless someone else had handwriting like hers? But…
But the first thing Marinette had ever said to Chat as Ladybug was asking if he was alright. In fact, the first thing Marinette had said to Chat at all.
Marinette sighed, heavy and long, and reached for her shampoo. Her thoughts only churned and churned more, and she was exhausted.
Clean and still damp, Marinette crawled up into bed, her pink tank and shorts awash in the pink of her bed.
“Marinette?” Tikki landed softly on the pillow beside the girl’s head.
“I’m okay, Tikki.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“I…I don’t know, Tikki…”Marinette trailed off, turning her face into her pillow.
Silence loomed over them, broken only by a tapping on the little door above Marinette’s bed. Both turned up at the noise.
“Princess? Are you in your tower?” Even if a million years passed, Marinette would have no problem recognizing that voice. She and Tikki shared a quick look; the little red kwami flittered off and down into Marinette’s purse on her desk.
“Chat Noir?” Marinette called out, her hand hoovering over the latch.
“The one and only!”
Every fiber of her being wanted to turn and run- she loved her kitty cat, she did, but…
This was not something she was prepared to face. Not after earlier.
But, it wasn’t uncommon for Chat to visit her as Marinette, and if she really was just jumping to conclusions it wouldn’t make sense to take it out on the poor cat.
“Princess?”
She flung open the door, and one black kitty landed gracefully on her bed. Chat Noir turned and faced Marinette, his green eyes filled with a rare emotion she couldn’t place boring into hers. Words froze on her lips, and her heart pounded in her ears. He was waiting for her to make the first move.
“Hey kitty cat.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat.
“Why the long face, princess?” Chat asked, tilting his head ever so slightly. The expression in his eyes didn’t change, but that body language was so familiar. Marinette could feel her shoulder’s relax just a bit.
She kept her gaze locked on her kitty, taking in one long and steadying breath. Releasing it slowly, Marinette asked barely above a whisper, “Chat…what’s your mark say?”
Apparently that wasn’t quite what he was expecting; Chat’s head tilted up and then to the other side, “Mark?”
Marinette nodded, her gaze falling to her hands in her lap.
“What’s brought this on, Marinette?” Chat asked, settling more onto her bed. Normally, when he visited she was in the middle of homework, or a project, and Chat Noir just rummaged through her room, or read and a magazine until he had her attention. She had never really questioned his presence; Marientte always had a strange feeling that whatever his civilian identity, Chat was lonely. Why else would he act so ridiculous all the time?
The dark haired girl looked to the side, her brain working overtime. She wished she could just raise her arm and summon a lucky charm, anything to make this easier. Or have even half the confidence she always had as Ladybug.
Marientte decided on the next best thing. She turned slightly away from the boy on her bed, until her left shoulder was in his eye-line. She tugged on her top, lifting it up and away and tugging her sports bra down until she was sure the inky bold words on her shoulder were visible.
“Is this you?” Her voice was barely a whisper, but she knew he could hear her- her kitty was a cat, after all.
The air between them was nothing but tension, rolling in waves and taunt with electricity. She held her breath as she waited for him to reply.
She jumped as gloved fingertips ran over her exposed shoulder.
“Marinette?” His voice was soft, and lost any of the bluster she had come to expect from him.
“I saw a boy today,” She kept her gaze on the wall in front of her, refusing to turn back around as she felt his fingers fall from her skin. She tugged her shirt back into place, continuing in a shaky voice, “I’ve known him for years now, but…I’ve never seen his mark, and he’s never seen mine. It’s always covered, y’know? But…I saw it today. It…it was mine….”Her voice grew softer with every word; she swallowed, and forced out the last with every bit of will power she had for it to be clear and steady, “But I never said that to him.” Marinette turned her head, her eyes seeking out the gaze of her cat before she finished, “I said it to you.”
Chat Noir torn his gaze away, looking down from her. Marientte forced her gaze to stay on him.
“My mark…” Marinette watched him swallow, “My mark is a question…it…”
“You alright?” Her voice cracked. He nodded, his hands fiddling together.
“I remember everything about the day I met my soulmate. I wasn’t very graceful yet, but I had just saved a very pretty princess from becoming a dragon’s snack…and I said some silly words to her. But then I met a beautiful lady, and she was everything that I never was. Still not.” He silenced her with a look when Marinette opened her mouth, “She’s graceful and confident, and knows how to stand on her own. That the first thing she said to me was a sign she was worried about me? Cared enough to ask? …It was the best gift. Even if I didn’t seem to be her soulmate.” His gaze soared back up into hers, and for a moment Marientte was blown away by the force behind it. There was so many emotions swirling around, and she could only name a few. Determination. Caring. Fear. And something so much stronger it took her breath away.
“Chat…”
There was a flash of light, and suddenly Marinette was looking at a different familiar face instead of her kitty cat’s.
“A-A-Adrien?” She gasped.
He smiled, brighter and happier than she had ever seen him before, “That’s definitely my writing. Is this yours?” He pulled on his shirt collar, and the words that haunted her all day shined under the moonlight from the still open door above them.
She was at a loss for words, left only with a nod.
If anything, that only seemed to make Adrien’s smile grow even wider, as he reached up to cup her face, “Princess, I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”
Marinette blushed, “O-oh please, there’s nothing great about me.”
“No, you’re the greatest thing there is.” He chuckled, pulling her closer, “Marinette, I’m so glad it’s you.” He whispered against her lips, hovering there. Waiting for permission.
Her kitty cat was a gentleman, after all.
Marinette closed that last bit of distance, hoping this wasn’t a dream, hoping life wasn’t that cruel. But then his lips was better than anything she could have imagined. They were equally chapped and smooth, the kiss an awkward slid of lips. It was absolutely perfect and real.
It wasn’t a dream, and her heart soared over the streets of Paris without Tikki to guide her.
It ended all too soon, but they stayed close, keeping their gazes locked. He breathed out, “Princess” just as she whispered, “Kitty” before their lips sought out the others once more, both of them alight in the knowledge that they had found the person they were meant for, and the person meant for them. It was a joy that colored their vision, a song their hearts sang to one another.
It was a letter that started with a pun and a question, and ended with love and certainty.