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“Tikki!” Marinette shouted as her dog dropped the leash in her lap for the fourth time in as many minutes, “Please just let me finish this email-then we will go for a walk!” She pouted down at Tikki’s imploring puppy eyes.
Her resolve wavered, she looked away.
Tikki nuzzled her snout into her lap and whined pitifully.
Marinette groaned, glaring halfheartedly down at her, "I’m going to complain the whole time, just so you know!”
During highschool Marinette had started an online business making custom clothing, which had grown in popularity over time and was now helping to fund her tuition at a design school. In between working and school, Marinette was lacking in time to spend socializing with her friends, much less trying to be in a relationship, but often found herself lonely in her flat. Her roommate Alya, was often away working as a junior reporter for TVi, rarely home except to sleep. So she’d adopted Tikki, a four year old blue Merle border collie, who was quite literally smart enough to run Marinette’s life for her, and believed in 3 square walks a day.
Not to suggest that she had any regrets about Tikki, because Marinette loved her, no matter how many times she hit her with her rope toys when she wanted to play.
The pair headed from her flat to a nearby park, strolling through the paths at a leisurely pace, stopping occasionally for Tikki to peruse a leaf or bush or stick or flower or butterfly that happened to catch her attention. Not far into their walk, Tikki jumped to attention, standing stock still, ears pricked and tail frozen on the alert. Marinette clicked her tongue a couple times but huffed when Tikki failed to respond and settled to wait for her to lose interest in whatever was hiding in the bush that was terribly important to her doggy brain. Marinette pulled her phone from her pocket to check her texts and no sooner had she diverted her attention then Tikki lunged towards the thicket in front of her, pulling Marinette head over heels into the grass after her.
Marinette lay stunned on the ground, Tikki’s pink leash twisted around her ankles, while the collie herself was almost fully encased in the leaves. Luckily, the only damage she seemed to have sustained was to her pride, so she levered herself into a sitting position, tugging Tikki’s leash gently. “C’mon you absolute disaster, you’re making me seem even clumsier than I already am, and I don’t need the help!”
When Tikki emerged from the bush, however, a thick mass of black hair followed with her, weaving in between her legs. The large and incredibly fluffy cat sat himself between Tikki’s front paws and fixed Marinette with a stare of such judgement that it somehow gave the distinct impression that this cat was looking down on her, despite being barely a foot tall. Feeling as though she had been appraised and deemed unworthy, Marinette stooped to his level and cooed softly, extending her hand for him to sniff.
The cat leaned forward and twitched his nose, before inclining his head to be scratched. A sigh of relief puffed from Marinette’s lips as she slid her fingers into fur so thick and so soft it should honestly have been a crime. Tikki dipped her snout to swipe a lick across the cat’s forehead, leaving a slightly damp cowlick of hair behind, but the furry void didn’t seem to mind, instead bursting into a rumbling purr so loud that Marinette started, toppling over backwards with a quiet yelp.
Marinette craned her neck to look at the pair: Tikki, the picture of innocence with her tongue lolling from her mouth and her tail waving like a furry flag behind her, all while her new BFF sat curled between her paws with what could only be called an imperious glower fixed on his sullen face. She groaned until all the air had left her body, flopping back into the grass.
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20 minutes later, Marinette was walking down the street, being stopped every couple minutes by a passerby thoroughly enamored with her “incredibly talented and beautiful animals”.
She’d managed to carry the unruly beast home and tighten one of Tikki’s spare collars til it fit him well enough to clip a leash to and attempt to head to the nearest pet store to check lost pet flyers. These failed repeatedly when Marinette tried to pick up the furball and each time he well and truly pitched a fit, managing to flail dramatically and then go limp to slip from her grasp.
Marinette ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation, making direct, challenging eye contact with him.
Seconds passed in silence.
She blinked first.
The cat seemed smug. Or as smug as a cat who theoretically didn't have more cognitive understanding than a three year old could.
Stomping her foot in an indignant and almost childish manner, Marinette scowled, “Look Mr. Noir,” she didn’t think he liked the name very much but she couldn’t just call him Cat, “We need to go to the pet store to try and find your owner.”
Noir yawned and spun on his heels, hopping onto a nearby chair and stepping delicately to balance on Tikki’s back, before fixing her with yet another look that quite frankly made her feel as though she’d just been called an idiot by a cat. Rather than let him win by gaping at what really was quite an impressive trick, Marinette just snatched both leashes and walked out the door, Tikki and her passenger in tow.
So here she was, eye twitching with every compliment that she tried to accept with as much grace as she could manage, despite the rising irritation with the spectacle this cat continued to make of her. A sigh of relief puffed from her lungs, much of the tension leaving her body as Marinette entered the pet shop and made her way to the checkout in search of an employee.
The girl at the counter seemed like she might be in highschool, with a round baby face and big eyes that sparkled when she greeted them. “Hi there! Your pets are so cute, how did you teach them to do that?”
Marinette sighed, giving the girl a wry smile, “I wish I could take credit but I actually just found this cat in the park and I came to see if people post lost pet flyers here?” Her eyes caught the girl’s name tag, where curled and slightly messy letters read: Sacha.
“That’s crazy! They seem like they’ve known each other for years!” Sacha said and turned to point to the opposite side of the store where adoptable cats were housed. “We have a bulletin board over by the kitties where flyers are posted, you should check there!”
A grateful smile spread over Marinette’s face, but before she could thank the girl her words died in her throat, her attention caught by a man barreling into the shop. The tall and, Marinette would later use the words devastatingly attractive when she described him to Alya, man was clearly stressed, arms overflowing with sheets of paper as he very nearly sprinted to the bulletin board Marinette had just been discussing with Sacha.
One of the sheets of paper that had come loose during the stranger’s Olympic sprint drifted to land at Marinette’s feet, face up to show a particularly sour image of the judgmental look she’d been subjected to all day. She held the flyer up next to Noir, who was apparently actually named Plagg, and cocked an eyebrow at Sacha, “A perfect match, huh? Seems like Mr. Plagg is a wanted criminal.”
Sacha giggled while Marinette headed towards the man who had begun to frantically paper the entire bulletin board with flyers of his cat, and stopped a few feet behind him. “That's a little excessive, don’t you think?” she commented, Tikki and Plagg coming to a halt at her side.
The man didn’t turn around, or even falter in his rapid fire stapling of photo after photo. “Not even a little bit! You don’t understand, this cat may be a judgmental asshole but he’s the only thing in my life that loves me and I need him back!”
Marinette’s breath stuttered, not just because he’d unloaded on a stranger that he felt like the only individual that cared about him was his cat, but because she recognized his voice. Her gaze scanned him desperately, suddenly unable to deny that in fact, standing before her was not just the owner of the ornery cat she’d found in the park, but also her very own high school crush, Adrien Agreste, international model, who was as handsome as he was oblivious. “A-adrien?” She squeaked before she could stop herself.
He froze, “Uh look, if you’re a fan, I’m sorry but this is a really bad time.” When she laughed in response he spun around, his too green eyes met hers and grew wide with surprise, “Marinette?” Adrien’s gaze shot to the two animals next to her, his surprise turning ecstatic, “Plagg!” He yelped, diving forward to sweep his cat off Tikki’s back and into his arms, peppering the cat’s head with kisses.
Marinette couldn’t help but giggle at the thoroughly displeased expression on Plagg’s face, one of his black paws pressing into Adrien’s cheek in an attempt to get away. She blushed, and immediately chastised herself for it, when Adrien plowed on, his voice high pitched and excited.
“You’re my hero today, Marinette! I can’t believe it was you who found him. When I turned around and the door was open I was sure I’d never see him again.”
Marinette privately agreed that would be a shame since the man was clearly enamored with the grumpy feline, even if it wasn’t immediately obvious if the sentiment was returned by said feline. “I can’t take the credit unfortunately. Tikki pulled me into a bush and happened to come back out with him in tow. They seem to have taken a liking to each other, but I’m not sure it extends to me.”
Adrien pouted and spoke in a soft tone that had her stomach fluttering with butterflies and her mind cursing at the fact that she’d apparently neglected to mature since high school. “He didn’t give you too much trouble, did he?”
She winked, “Only a little, but maybe you can make that up to me and we can catch up?” Marinette laughed nervously, flustered by her own new found confidence with him and wondered if perhaps she had matured after all. “I mean, I think our pets have decided to be friends, and it would be a shame to nip a budding friendship like that.”
As if in agreement, Plagg finally managed to free himself from Adrien’s grasp and padded over to arch his back and rub along Tikki’s legs, purring smugly. Adrien watched as Tikki nuzzled her snout into the cat, grooming his fur as if he were a puppy, before shifting his gaze back to Marinette, a smile creasing his face that bloomed a warmth deep in her chest, “Far be it from me to stand in their way, Marinette.”