Chapter Text
"Hang on Princess! We gotta move!!" The secret nickname he had for his friend slipping out once again. He had no time to be embarrassed about it...this time anyway. Chat Noir was leaping and vaulting over the city's rooftops, propelling himself with the help of his extendable baton. His muscles pushing themselves to their limits, wind whipping his hair wildly, as he tried to get ahead of the akumatized victim that was wreaking havoc just a block or so behind him.
His cat ears flattened backward at the sound of something crashing just behind them and to the right. It sounded like it may have been a car, but he didn't have time to look back. He had to get his precious cargo to safety.
"Chat! You can't keep this pace up forever!" The raven-haired girl he was carrying yelled over the noise of the pursuit. "You're going to get hurt. Just drop me somewhere so you can concentrate on the akuma!" Marinette's arms were wrapped as loosely around Chat Noir's neck and shoulders as she could without falling off. She was doing her best to give him as much freedom of movement as she could to help them get out of this ridiculous situation. She was riding piggyback on the black leather-clad superhero. At least she assumed it was some kind of leather. It was hard to determine what, besides some kind of energy, their super-suits were actually made of.
"No way Mari!" Chat yelled over his shoulder. In his distraction, not realizing how familiar he was being with a girl he should, by all rights, only know through a few brief encounters. "I'm not letting you go until I know you're going to be safe!" So saying, he hiked her up and got a better grip on her thighs, only blushing slightly. He'd be embarrassed later, right now, he had to concentrate on keeping out of range of "Dr. Greenhouse" (as the akumatized victim was calling himself), and the energy blasts from his "Ray-bans" (Chat may have appreciated the pun more if he wasn't in the process of being attacked). He had seen cars turn into stones and bushes, motorcycles and lamp posts become shrubs and trees. The effects on humans Chat and Marinette had witnessed firsthand and....well it was enough for Chat to panic, snatch up Marinette, tuck tail and run.
Marinette being used to Chat as her partner didn't pick up on the excessive familiarity, she was way too busy trying to plot a way to sneak off and transform. She was completely frustrated. She’d be able to help Chat if she could just get her suit on, instead of being a liability as she currently was.
Breathless, Chat skidded to a halt, on a familiar rooftop. He stooped, hands on his legs, his breathing labored as he took a quick second to look around. He had landed on the top of Le Grand Paris Hotel. Marinette slid off of his back; head turning this way and that, pigtails bobbing as she quickly assessed her surroundings. "I'll be fine here Chat. Why don’t..."
Marinette never got a chance to finish her sentence as a blast of energy narrowly missed hitting her, transforming a cabana umbrella into an ornamental tree. She had squeaked and took an unsteady leap back, losing her balance, she flailed her arms helplessly as she began to fall backward toward the pool. Chat snatched her up into a bridal carry. In a half growl, he glared in the direction the blast had come from, "That's it! We need to get out of the open!" With Marinette in his arms, he spun and fireman kicked the nearest door that led off the roof with one booted heel, sending the door crashing inward.
Marinette was impressed, Chat usually only necessitated that kind of force when Ladybug was in danger. She tried to wrap her mind around that for a second while Chat sprinted for the elevator.
"Wait Chat! If we get caught in the elevator...."
"Good point! Hang on!" With that Chat headed down the nearest stairwell, jumping from landing to landing. Though he was trying to save Marinette from being jarred too much, Marinette couldn't help but feel like a pinball as they bounced down to ground level.
Over the loudspeakers of the hotel, a woman's voice could be heard saying "Akuma Alert. All civilians are advised to stay out of sight. Do not attempt to confront the akuma. Ladybug and Chat Noir will arrive shortly."
Marinette could hear cat grumbling under his breath as they came off the last landing and started sprinting through the lobby, "C'mon M'lady. Where are you?..."
She wanted so desperately to reassure her partner. She opened her mouth to try to offer some comfort when they heard the nearby crash of furniture and a raspy voice saying "Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Give us your miraculous and the girl you're carrying can go free..."
"Chat hurry..." Marinette took a quick glance around then pointed to a nearby door "in there!"
Chat skidded to a halt then balked before going through the door. “But that's the ladies' room..."
"Kitty, seriously?!" Marinette snapped, not realizing she had used her nickname for her partner in her exasperation.
"Right." Sheepishly Chat Noir complied, slipping through the bathroom door and quickly and quietly closing the door behind them with the metal toe of one booted foot.
He wasn't quite sure why he trusted Marinette so much. Sure she was his friend, not that she knew who HE was underneath the mask, but it was more than that. She had a kind of presence of command and leadership about her that was familiar... very familiar in fact.
He didn't realize how he was staring at Marinette, still in his arms until she blushed slightly and cleared her throat.
"Ahem... I think it's ok to put me down now Chat."
"Oh...uh...right. Sorry" Chat blushed and scratched the back of his neck uncertainly with one clawed hand. His heart was beating a hundred miles per hour, though he couldn't quite understand why. Sure Marinette was attractive, beautiful even, but he loved Ladybug...it's just...something about Mari had caught his attention, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was just yet. Then as that thought had managed to filter through, immediately after he gave a start and flipped the communicator in his baton open.
Again he only got the screen saying ladybug was unavailable. He left yet another message, trying not to let the anxiety creep into his voice, fully aware that Marinette was next to him listening. "Ladybug, we have a situation. There's an akumatized victim in the Bourgeois' Hotel. I’m in the ladies room on the ground floor with Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Pretty sure the akuma is in the guy's glasses. Hurry please; I'm on the last of my nine lives today!"
Chat looked up and noticed Marinette's concerned expression. Her hand was fisted, covering her mouth, brows knitted together in thought. Chat leaned toward her placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling gently. "It's going to be ok Marinette. Ladybug will get here soon and we'll be able to take this guy out and get you home faster than I can twitch a whisker."
Marinette looked up at Chat Noir and gave what she hoped was a convincing smile. 'Easy for him to say' she thought, as she was trying to figure out a way to change without alerting Chat to who she was. "Maybe we should check the stalls to make sure no one is trapped in here with us." Marinette said gesturing to the many stalls in the plush hotel ladies room.
As she expected, Chat blanched and she hid her smile, knowing already what he was planning to say.
"Uuuuhhh. Good idea Marinette, m-maybe you should check. I'd...um...hate to interrupt...anything." Chat turned a shade of crimson that rivaled even Marinette's usual awkward blush.
"Don't worry Chat. I'll handle this. Maybe you could check to see if the coast is clear?"
"Yeah! Yeah, I'll do that." Chat said enthusiastically latching onto the idea like a drowning man would a life preserver.
Marinette stifled a giggle as Chat turned to crack the door open just enough to peer outside. She had hoped he'd agree. It gave her a moment to think. As she had anticipated, the bathroom was completely empty. As she continued to check the stalls, she recapped on the events of the day up to that point.
****
She thought she was going to have a quiet Saturday for once. She had been out on her roof patio watering her plants in her pink jean shorts and her favorite white shirt with pink flower design. Tikki was lounging nearby on a cushioned chair taking in the mid-morning sunlight. "It's so beautiful out today Tikki, you feel like taking a walk to find Andre later and get some ice cream?"
"Yum! I'd love some! You don't have to ask me twice." Tikki chirped up excitedly, licking her lips in anticipation and zooming to Marinette's cheek for a quick cuddle.
Marinette giggled and nuzzled Tikki back. She loved to spoil her friend, confidant, and kwami whenever she had a chance, which was pretty easy to accomplish given the little kwami's penchant toward a sweet tooth. She always felt so bad when she had to call on Tikki's power so suddenly, which had been happening quite frequently; twice just the week before.
"That's a welcome sight, a girl giggling over her flowers. I'll give you a Peony for your thoughts." A familiar voice chided behind her. Marinette's heart leaped into her throat. Luckily Tikki was in front of her and quickly swooshed out of sight and into her little purse, which Marinette kept on her for just that reason.
"Chat Noir? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Making sure Tikki was securely out of sight, she whirled around to face her partner. Of course, he didn't know that, which...wait why was he here?
"Sorry purr-incess, didn't mean to startle you." Chat had settled down onto her lounge chair and was swinging the leg that wasn't tucked up on the chair with him. His leg halted, however, mid-swing when he realized he used his secret name for Marinette that he'd been calling her in his head whenever he found her as Chat Noir. He hoped the lady in question wouldn't notice but from the curious tilt to her head and the small quirk of her lips, he could tell he was done for.
"Princess? How am I a princess?" Marinette was trying not to giggle. It was rare to see Chat Noir thrown off his guard, and she was enjoying his discomfort a little too much. She always thought of him as a bit of a playboy, but if the blush on his face was any indication, he wasn't as suave and flirtatious as she always assumed him to be.
"Well...ummm....it's just that...I-I...w-w-well that is to say…" Chat scratched the back of his head as he tried to find a way to explain himself that didn't sound too dorky or creepy.
Marinette finding his discomfort absolutely adorable shook her head and went to sit beside him at the foot of the lounge chair. She decided she could be a little daring with him, after all, he did come to her, and had come to her before when he had needed comfort that night... that night she had unwittingly stood him up. The night Andre the ice cream man was akumatized.
She still felt bad about that day. She had messed so much up that day. It all turned out okay in the end, but she hated having to reject her partner, but she couldn't very well even entertain thoughts about him when her heart belonged to Adrien. Never mind that Adrien didn't even think of her in that way. Could she?
While Marinette was having this little mental interlude, Chat Noir was still stammering and getting redder by the second. Marinette chuckled under her breath and shook her head gently before she laid a hand on Chat Noir's gloved hand and smiled at him saying "It's okay Chat. Breathe."
Chat Noir stopped stammering finally and took the advice, before giving a sheepish grin. His tail twitched nervously behind him. "It's just, any time I pass by and happen to see you, you're always on your balcony. And... I'll let you in on a little secret." He scooted closer to Marinette, leaning in conspiratorially and looking around so that Marinette felt obliged to look around as well, even though she knew no one would come up on her balcony without announcing themselves first. Chat leaned in and whispered in her ear cupping his hand over his mouth, "I'm a huge Disney nerd."
Marinette drew back and laughed. “Okay...but how does that make me a princess?"
Chat chuckled lightly and looked away a bit embarrassed still but starting to be more his usual self. His tail lashed playfully, as he sent Marinette a sideways glance before answering "Well...for starters you're over here on a balcony like you see princesses in movies do all the time, "Chat held up his fingers, ticking points off on a gloved hand as he went, "I've had to come and rescue you a few times, also a huge princess quality." Marinette gave Chat a dry look, wishing she could tell him how many times she's had to save his hide as Ladybug. Chat continued on, oblivious to Marinette's chagrin, "you're pretty as any Disney princess I've seen," At this Marinette's eyes fluttered open wide in surprise she didn't know Chat thought that way about her, as Marinette anyway. She didn't know what to think about that information, but it was making her stomach flutter uncomfortably. So even as she blushed, Chat also blushed slightly but continued on “and you talk to animals, therefore, you're a princess." Marinette was drawn out of her confused feelings to be just generally confused.
"Wait, when do I talk to animals?" She was worried a moment that maybe Chat had seen her talking to Tikki, but maybe if she could play it off as she was talking to a little bird or something, it would be better for her in the long run.
"Well, you're talking to me aren't you?" Chat wiggled his eyebrows and twitched his ears then tail to bring his point across.
Marinette was stunned a moment then burst out laughing. "Silly Kitty!” Marinette ruffled the feather soft hair between Chat's cat ears “You're such a goof!”
Chat had frozen a moment but continued on as if he wasn’t perturbed, laughing a bit himself but a little nervously. There, just then when Marinette had laughed and called him a ‘Silly Kitty’, it was almost exactly…well it was very similar to at the very least, a certain red-clad, polka-dotted female he knew.
He wondered what the odds could possibly be that one of his best friends could also be his partner and the love of his life. He shook his head, he couldn’t possibly be that lucky. There was absolutely no way that was even an option, and yet…
Marinette had noticed the sudden change in Chat and decided to ask her original question again, “So what brings you to my balcony today Sir Chat?”
“Sir Chat?” The super hero’s ears perked and he had a quizzical smile on his face.
“Well, yeah. If I’m a princess, I have to have a knight to champion me right? You can be my knight in shining leather!” Marinette giggled deciding she was actually pretty comfortable with Chat around. She could be herself around him, unlike when she spoke to Adrien. It was hard for her to even get her thoughts straight around him, let alone her words.
“Sir Chat…I could get used to that.” Chat smiled and reclined as much as possible in the lounge chair with Marinette sitting at the end. He liked this, the sense of warmth, comfort, openness, an easy bond. She was super easy to talk to as Chat. For some reason, he felt there was some kind of tension between them in his civilian form. It had lessened over the nearly four years he’d known her, but he still felt bad for it. He chalked it up to the time he had been caught taking gum off of Marinette’s seat that Chloe had put there, which Marinette had mistaken as him trying to prank her. They’d cleared things up of course, and over time, and working with her on things like the gaming tournament and hanging out with Nino and Alya, who were constantly around her, he felt she was one of his closest friends besides Nino. Sitting with her like this, as Chat though, just felt so easy and natural in comparison.
Remembering her question, he looked down, a little sullenly at his claws before answering. “I was actually hoping you’d be out here today. Some days, where I live, it could feel a little…secluded.” He looked up and smiled gently at Marinette, who was looking at him with big, incredibly blue eyes full of concern. It warmed his heart that she’d be concerned for him, someone she barely even knew. But, he figured, she wouldn’t be Marinette if she didn’t. “I remembered any time I’ve talked with you or come by in the past, you always listened to me. You never treated me like a celebrity, or someone intimidating. You always just…talked to me…like a friend. You know?” He looked away, hoping he wasn’t overstepping his bounds.
Marinette smiled, leaning back on her little bit of lounge chair her arms crossing over where one of Chat’s feet was. Her smile faltered a little as a thought occurred to her. “You….don’t you talk to Ladybug like this?” She knew very well what the answer would be, but she couldn’t give herself away, and she needed answers that her question was sure to lead to.
“Ladybug and I, yeah we talk a lot… but I feel worried about what she thinks about me. I feel like I’m kind of a klutz around her; like I'm not quite myself. ” Cat raised his hands in a questioning way. “Does that make sense?”
Marinette sighed and raised her knees wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. “Trust me; it makes more sense than you think.”
Chat suddenly remembered something about Marinette, something that he saw the last time he was here, in her room, with Ladybug.
“So…Speaking of talking to people, you ever talk to that guy you were telling me about?” He could feel Marinette tense up at the foot of the lounge chair, a slight sheen of panic glossed over her eyes. She was just about to try to answer him when they heard a crash and screams in the street below. Both of their heads had swiveled in the direction of the noises they heard. As one they turned back to look at each other with wide eyes, then both teens sprinted to the edge of the balcony to see what the commotion was about.
Below, in the streets there was, what looked like a man wearing a lab coat and spiked glasses. Except that the man was about five times the size of a normal man. His skin, if that's what it could be called, was a mossy green pallor and he had greyish brown roots protruding from where his arms and legs should have been.
"Parasites of the earth, your time has come!!! You will harm the planet with your contraptions and pollution no more!!!" The akumatized villain let out a cackle that sounded like tree branches snapping.
"Oh no!" Marinette gasped out the words almost inaudibly. This was not the best time for Chat to be so close by, she needed to hurry and transform.
"Don't worry Marinette, I can handle this guy until Ladybug gets here." Chat hopped onto the railing of her balcony. "Just get inside and out of sight until I draw the guy away, okay?" While Chat had his head turned toward Marinette, the Akuma was knocking cars and motorcycles out of its path. One daft person actually thought they could salvage their motorcycle. Seeing Marinette's eyes widen in alarm, Chat Noir whipped his head around back toward the action. "That lunatic! What the heck is he doing??" Chat nearly launched himself off the balcony then and there to save the rider but a hand had gripped his arm with remarkable strength and speed before he could.
"Wait! Don't!!!" Marinette cried out. At that moment she had been watching the events unfolding at ground level, she got this sick sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and had grabbed the superhero's arm desperately. She couldn't let Chat get close to the Akuma. A split second later, she realized why.
As the rider ran to pick up his motorcycle and drive off on it, the akumatized victim spotted the rider, squinted through his glasses and as the glasses glowed, they emitted a ray of light that hit the rider. The rider disappeared into a cloud of gas, water, and debris. All that was left of the rider was his helmet and clothes which from the force of the ray of energy had flown into the air and fell, empty, to the ground.
Marinette let out a sharp gasp the same time Chat cried out "Whoa!!" It took them a moment to process what had just happened. The villain laughed, tilting his head back and crying out to the sky "Did you think you could escape Dr. Greenhouse?" With one tentacle-like, branch appendage he poked at the now empty clothes. "Not so tough when broken down into your basic chemical components are you parasite?" With a dash of his tentacle, he sent the motorcycle flying right in Chat and Marinette's direction.
"Mari!" Chat yelled and tackled the girl to the opposite side of her balcony as the motorcycle crashed right where they had been standing.
Marinette rolled with chat on top of her to the side and had to gasp for breath as the wind had gotten knocked clean out of her.
"Are you okay?" Chat asked looking down at Marinette quickly to see if she was injured. Marinette could merely nod, not trusting her voice just then. Chat jumped into a defensive crouch just above her, trying to shield Marinette from anything else that might come their way. Unfortunately, the direction of the flying motorcycle and the subsequent quick retreat of the couple on the roof had alerted the akuma that he had found at least one miraculous holder.
"Ahhhh! What do we have here?" Dr. Greenhouse turned his gaze to the top of Marinette's family home and bakery. With a low rumble, the ground around Dr. Greenhouse cracked slightly. He had dug his roots into the street and using the nutrients from the ground made his leg appendages grow at an alarming rate until he could finally see on top of the building. "Well if it isn't Ladybug's pet cat." The akumatized scientist made a show of adjusting his glasses while he cackled. "You're smaller than I imagined you'd be, I hardly saw you there."
"Yeah well," Chat came out of his crouch to step between Marinette and Dr. Greenhouse's line of vision. "We can't all chug a gallon of Miracle Grow and sprout up like the Jolly Green Giant, can we?" He raised an arm to rest his baton across his shoulders, head cocked to one side mockingly. With his free hand behind his back, he motioned secretly to Marinette to get up and get closer to him.
Knowing her partner well enough to know what Chat was planning, she immediately and silently complied, keeping as low and out of sight as possible. Once directly behind Chat, she placed her hand in the hand Chat held behind his back. He squeezed her hand in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, Dr. Greenhouse seemed to be having a dialogue with Hawkmoth, as his eyes glowed and he was replying to unheard questions. "Yes... Yes, I understand. You shall have the miraculous of the cat boy, and I will have an easier time squashing the bug when she decides to show herself."
Deciding to take advantage of the interlude, Chat whipped Marinette's hand up and around his shoulder crouching down slightly. Marinette jumped onto his back and wrapped her legs and remaining arm securely within a second. "You'll have to catch me first you termite hotel!" With that, he leapt off of Marinette's roof and off across the roofs and alleyways of Paris.
****
Marinette, looked over her shoulder to see if Chat was still occupied, then quickly popped her purse open and looked in on her Kwami. "Tikki, you ok? I'm sorry if I squished you at all." She whispered, glancing over her shoulder nervously.
"It's okay Marinette. I'm a Kwami. I'm much tougher than you think I am." Tikki gave a wink and patted the finger that was on the clasp of the little purse reassuringly.
Afraid Chat would notice her talking to Tikki; she smiled and nodded at her little pink and black polka-dotted friend before giving a little wave with her finger and loosely closing her purse again.
Walking back, she could hear crashes within the hotel and see Chat's ears twitching back and forth as he listened to the chaos outside.
"Marinette, I need you to stay hidden and stay safe. I have to try to get this guy out of the hotel." Chat was about to turn to leave when he felt a tug on his tail. He turned to see Marinette holding the end of it.
"Wait Chat, I think there's a better way. Please..." Marinette knew as a civilian she couldn't just rely on Chat's blind faith in her as Ladybug to make decisions, but she wasn't sure what else to do at this point. She looked down at Chat's tail between her hands but didn't release him. "I know you have absolutely no reason to trust me or my judgment, but..." Marinette looked up at chat with big, blue, pleading eyes, "I have a plan. And if it works, it will keep a lot of people from having to be transformed and will contain the akuma until Ladybug can take care of it."
Chat pursed his lips; he turned to look at the door where he could hear the sounds of crashing furniture and the voice of the akuma calling out to him on the other side. Luckily because of the alarm, the hotel patrons knew to stay in their rooms and out of the way of the bulk of the damage. Chat looked back at Marinette, 'had her eyes always been that amazing shade of crystallized blue' he wondered. He had to blink and breathe to clear his mind. They reminded him of another pair of impossibly blue eyes, though he knew that wasn't why he trusted Marinette. Besides Ladybug, he knew Marinette to be one of the smartest, most level-headed and brave people he knew. Chat nodded and with a small smile took a step towards his petite friend. "You got it, Princess."
Marinette breathed a sigh of relief at the same moment releasing his tail. She didn't want her partner facing that thing alone without any kind of plan. She had already had several minor heart attacks as it was with all the close calls today.
"Ok, so here is what we're going to do. I'm going to need you to grab one of the mirrors off of the wall over there." She pointed to the huge mirrors over a vanity area. Chat nodded and hurried to go and grab one.
"Okay, so where do you...Marinette what the fuck??" Chat's eyes widened in shock as he saw his classmate stripping down to her underwear. He was struggling, he really wanted to look away, and eventually, he did but Marinette had a more athletic build than he ever gave her credit for. She had a tight, small muscular body that was strong and still very feminine at the same time. Chat Noir was doing everything he could to keep his mind out of the gutter, but even the (not so) brief glimpse that he had of the blue- tinted, black haired girl before him had sent his heart racing past the speed of light.
"Language Kitty!" Marinette scolded while at the same time turning beet red. With one hand she was clutching her clothing to her torso, covering as much as she could of her pastel pink underwear with black lace trim. Why did she have to wear the ones with the paw prints on her butt? She was sure she'd never hear the end of it if Chat caught sight of them. "Just pretend I'm wearing a bathing suit, okay?" She went as far as taking off her shoes and socks as well. She needed her ruse to be convincing. "How good are you at causing a distraction?" Finding it impractical to carry her clothes and get things done, she abandoned them on the nearby vanity.
"Oh, I distract pretty girl...P-Pretty GOOD, pretty good. Dis...Good. Distract good. Pretty good. I distract pretty good." Chat cleared his throat, his fist in front of his mouth and his eyes averted from Marinette's direction for good measure. The mirror had suddenly become very interesting to him as he resumed a death grip on it. "So what are we doing exactly?" He managed to get out after clearing his throat, not without his voice cracking in the middle of his sentence, but Chat found it an accomplishment that he was able to get anything understandable out at all.
Marinette was in the process of placing the mirror she had managed to pry out of Chat's hands against a chair that faced the door to the ladies' room. Looking back at Chat over her shoulder, (and even as she was blushing) she managed a determined smile. "We're going to give that walking tree a taste of his own medicine."