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Chat Noir leapt across the rooftops.
If anyone on the street had looked up, they would have noticed he looked awkward and bulky as he dashed along.
But they didn’t, they never did, so no one questioned why Chat Noir was carrying a giant potted plant over the rooftops of Paris.
He really didn’t want them to notice. It was a very embarrassing story.
They had just finished dealing with an akuma, and he was preparing to baton his way out of the scene when Ladybug waved him goodbye as she talked to the victim. So obviously, he didn’t pay any attention to where he was going, waving back frantically.
By the time he realized he was on a collision path with a balcony, it was too late.
He smashed right into the large plant sitting on the edge of the railing. Sitting up a second later, he groaned as he first noticed the shards of ceramic and dirt scattered all around, and then as he realized whose balcony he was on.
He had killed the plant of someone he actually knew! Marinette had never been anything but nice to him (except for that first day, but they didn’t talk about that. They didn’t talk about much, actually. She was rather quiet, for someone who was Alya’s best friend) and here he was repaying her by ruining her balcony.
He had made a quick pile out of the remains of the plant and scurried off, feeling guilty.
Which was why he was heading back, a day later, to fix his mistake.
Chat Noir landed gracefully on the balcony. Walking over to the railing, he placed his plant down where the old one had been. Pulling out the envelope from where he had tucked it in his belt, he went to place it next to the plant. Stepping back, he looked at his handiwork proudly.
He was congratulating himself for a job well done when the trapdoor opened.
Marinette’s head poked out.
“Hello?” she said, and he jumped.
“Oh- oh my god- why did you- you can’t just sneak up on people like that!” He was breathing heavily, his hand on his heart. “I literally just had a heart attack.”
“You?! I’m the one who has some cat creeping around on their roof!”
He recovered from his shock. “Creeping? I was doing a good deed!”
She climbed fully out of the hatch and stood on the roof next to him, arms crossed.
“Oh yeah? What did you do?”
He pointed to the plant. She gasped, and went over to inspect it.
“Why did you bring me a plant? While I did need a new one, my old one got knocked over somehow- wait.” She turned and pressed a finger to his chest. “Did you knock over my plant?”
Chat Noir grinned sheepishly. “Guilty as charged? What can I say, I’m a living cat-astrophe!”
She groaned at his pun, but quickly sobered up.
“Chat, I appreciate the gesture, but you really didn’t need to get a new plant. It was an accident. And this size of plant- and the pot- are really expensive!”
He shrugged. He didn’t really pay attention to prices, he didn’t need to, but he obviously couldn’t tell her that. “It’s not a big deal, I knocked it over in the first place, might as well fix it.”
She smiled, her eyes crinkling. “I appreciate it, but really, you didn’t need to. I can pay you back. I know it must be expensive.”
Chat Noir waved her off. He had gone to such lengths to fix his mistake and now she was trying to pay for it? That wouldn’t do.
“No, I insist. I wanted to.”
She frowned, unhappy at such expense from someone else, even if that someone else was the pot-breaker. Then her face brightened.
“Stay here!” She descended the ladder into her room, and Chat Noir heard a quick thud as she landed.
When she came back out with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and some pastries a few minutes later, he had migrated to perching on the railing, staring at the stars.
“Hey kitty,” she said, catching him off guard again.
“Stop that!” he reproached her. “I was relaxing.”
“Well, now you can relax with some hot chocolate,” she snarked.
He hopped off the railing, coming to sit next to her on the lounge chair.
“Thanks.” He grabbed a mug, took a sip, and turned his face skywards again.
“Whatcha looking at?”
He tilted his head to the side slightly.
“The stars. There’s almost no clouds tonight, so I can see all the constellations.”
“I can never see them,” she grumbled. “I have an astronomy project due soon about the constellations but I’m just going to have to Google.”
Chat Noir knew exactly what she was talking about. After all, he was doing the project too.
“Here.” He grabbed her hand. “See that big one?” He pointed her hand towards a bright point.
She squinted.
“Yes..?”
“Okay, that’s part of Cassiopeia. See how it looks like a M?”
“If you like your letters written by a two year old, yeah.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be such a skeptic.”
She laughed. “Alright, what next?”
“What, one constellation not enough for you?”
“Well, I have to find five for my project, so no.”
“Tsk, tsk, someone’s greedy.” She swatted his arm. “Ow! Okay, fine. So the bright one I pointed out to you before, make an imaginary line right down to that star, and you can see Andromeda…”
He ended up staying for another half an hour, helping Marinette do her project and munching on pastries in the starlight.
Adrien slammed his door shut angrily. In any other household, the parent would have screamed up at him.
But of course, in the Agreste house, no one cared enough.
He threw himself down on his bed, Plagg flying out of his pocket.
“He always does this!” he huffed.
Plagg looked at him sympathetically. Or as sympathetically as one can look when munching on a huge chunk of cheese.
“He doesn’t care! ‘Adrien you know how I feel about you spending your time frivolously.’ like, god, just say it! He hates my friends and doesn’t want me doing anything fun! I’m not one of his employees! If Mom was here-” He cut off suddenly and clenched his fists, raising them slightly and then letting them fall down back to hit the bed.
“Plagg, we’re going out.”
He transformed and jumped out of his window, making his way across Paris.
He didn’t make it that far before he saw her.
Marinette was out on her balcony, wrapped in a blanket waving to him frantically. When she saw him see her, she gestured in a come here motion.
Chat Noir sighed. He had been in the mood to mope, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen.
He made his way over to her balcony, finally alighting on the balcony.
“Hey.”
She smiled brightly, and a little of his anger fell away.
“Guess what?”
“What?”
“I got a hundred on my project! It’s definitely only because of your help,” she laughed.
His ears relaxed a little more.
“It’s a superhero’s job to help those in distress. Glad I could help.”
She squinted at him. “No pun? I thought you’d say something stupid like ‘oh you would have been claw-ful without me.’”
He shrugged. “I’m not really in a punning mood.”
Marinette gasped. “You’re always in a punning mood! I’ve never heard you go more than five seconds without a pun!”
“When do you hear me talk that much?” He looked down at her suspiciously.
She flushed, but recovered. “On tv duh?” She put on a cheery voice. “Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news!”
He nodded in understanding, a slight smirk. “Oh, I understand. You’re a secret Chat stan and you’ve watched all my interviews.” Her jaw dropped. “It’s okay Marinette,” he crooned, “I’m a good looking guy. Hard not to catch felines for me.”
“That-” she looked shocked. “That was absolutely terrible,” she finished.
“I think you mean purrfect…”
She groaned and hit her head against the textbook sitting on the lounge chair. Then she rocketed back up, staring at him aggressively.
“Wait, stop trying to change the subject! Are you okay?”
Chat Noir wouldn’t usually go around pouring his heart out to civilians, but this was different. It was Marinette, he knew her, even if she didn’t know it. And he really needed to rant to someone. Plagg tried to understand (kind of), but there was only so much a ancient deity could sympathize with.
“So yeah, basically my father is being a jerk. It’s really not a big deal though.”
“Aww, Chat, don’t say that!” She patted his head, as during his rant he had migrated to sitting on the floor near her chair. “You definitely have a right to be mad. He sounds- no offense- like a terrible parent. I would be really pissed off. I am pissed off, actually.”
He ducked his head, staring at a smudge on the patio.
She stared at the dejected blonde head sympathetically. “You can always come here if you need to get away. I’m usually out here doing homework when it’s nice out, but I don’t mind staying inside if you need a place to relax.”
“Yeah, maybe. But you don’t need to go inside. It was actually nice to be able to talk to someone about it. Like free therapy.”
She laughed. “That’s me, your free therapist! Seriously, if you ever need to drop by, even if you just wanna talk, I’m here.”
Chat twisted around so he was facing her. “Thank you. Really.”
Marinette smiled, a little flustered by the smile he was giving her. “No problem.”
He stood up. “I’ll see ya around— purr-incess.”
He winked, and dashed off the balcony as she shouted after him “That’s not even funny! You have to get better puns!”
It was a gorgeous night. The wind ruffled his hair as he flew through the air.
He and Ladybug had just finished up with an akuma, and it had been a relatively easy battle, so he was in high spirits and didn’t want to go back to his giant, yet still claustrophobic, room.
Unconsciously, he had been heading towards Marinett’s balcony, and as he got closer he saw her huddled under a blanket on her chair.
Chat had stopped by for a few more visits since the day he broke down to her about his father, and she never pressured him for any more information. They mostly just talked about random things. Nothing that would incriminate his identity, but silly stuff.
She would often pull up would you rather questions on her laptop and they would argue about which answer was better. Once he brought a speaker over and they had a dance party for Jagged Stone’s new album.
He didn’t really know why she was putting up with him, but he wasn’t going to complain. In school, Marinette was always quiet, so it was nice to become friends- if that was what they were- outside of school, where she seemed more at ease.
Although it didn’t look like it today, strangely. She didn’t even look up as he touched down on the roof.
“Marinette?”
She jumped.
“Oh my god, you scared me!”
He sat down on the small wooden chest that had become his seat during their late night chats.
“You good? Usually you see me before I get here.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I’m just kinda stressed. We have the school musical tomorrow, and I’m playing the lead. There’s this one scene I’m worried about because I have to act alongside-” she cut herself off. “Because I don’t have the lines down pat.”
Chat Noir frowned. She was definitely about to say act alongside Adrien. Why was she worried? Did she think he wasn’t good enough? Maybe he should practice his lines some more too. With her, here! It would be perfect!
“I can help you read lines. What show?”
“Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
“Can’t say I’ve heard of it, but sounds good. Do you have a script for me?”
She handed him a giant binder. “Page 53.”
He flipped through the pages of the familiar script, pretending to read through Scene 11. He knew this one, he was in it. It was just him and Marinette, as Jimmy and Millie, on a balcony. It was also the first time they kissed in the show, even though it was only a peck on the lips. Maybe that was what she was worried about? He’d make sure to have some gum beforehand.
He’d been silent for too long, she was staring at him anxiously.
“You don’t have to help, it’s okay…”
“No, I want to! I was just thinking it’s ironic that the scene takes place on a balcony and-“ he gestured around them, “we’re on one too.”
“Funny, I didn’t even think about that until now. It’s the perfect setting.” She smiled, gazing up at him.
Chat swallowed. “Um should we start?”
“Yeah,” she laughed, “But you start first!”
He looked down at the script. He was performing this tomorrow he should have known that! She was just a little distracting.
“Aw, c'mon, Millie, Relax. She’ll never remember your name.”
“You think?” He nodded. “Really? What a relief!” Marinette, totally in character, squealed and air hugged him around the binder. “A scandal could cost me my job.Mr. Graydon—“
“Is a stiff. Isn’t he?”
Marinette glared at him. “Some would say so, but I see a side of him that few people are lucky enough to see.”
“Can I ask a favor-a really big one, 'cause I know how hard it'll be for you- can you not talk about your plan for once?”
She crossed her arms. “Why not?”
Chat huffed, getting in character. “'Cause I'm sick of hearing about it: You want to marry a man who thinks of you as a typewriter on legs, be my guest.”
“Thank you, I will. The new woman chooses reason over romance any day of the week. And I’m a new woman!” she ended proudly.
Chat stared her down. “I'm warning you, Millie, I've had it up to here with you and Graydon.”
“Then I don't know what to tell you, 'cause I'm going to be his wife. What will you be, butterfly boy?” She snorted, almost breaking out into laughter. “Flower to flower to flower!” She couldn’t help letting out a laugh, and he laughed along as he said his next line.
“You got a problem with that?” He let out an eep from trying to hold in his laughter, and Marinette cackled.
“I'm merely suggesting that you grow up, skirt chaser!” She poked his chest, having given up on trying to be serious.
“Gold digger!” He stuck his tongue out at her.
“Womanizer!”
“Jezebel!”
“Casanova!”
This was the point where the kiss, and then Jimmy’s subsequent escape would happen, but they were both laughing too hard to even stand up straight.
Marinette sagged onto the lounge chair, boneless from laughter.
“Oh my god, that was too priceless. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget your voice crack. ‘You’ve got a problem with thAaAt?’” She imitated his voice crack ruthlessly.
“Well I’m never forgetting you calling me butterfly boy! I’m not Hawkmoth, Marinette!”
She just giggled. “I wish that the show tomorrow could be as stress-free as this one.”
He sat up from where he had flopped down on the patio. “It can be. Just imagine it’s me up there with you.” If only she knew.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“I don’t guess, I know. You will be great tomorrow, and you won’t stress at all.” She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, only a little stress allowed.”
“Thank you for your theater blessing, O acting god.”
“No problem, my little sycophant.”
The next day, Chat dropped off a big bouquet of roses on the balcony, along with a note reading:
Congrats on what I’m sure was a great performance, Gold Digger!
~Butterfly Boy
The next time Chat stopped by the balcony wasn’t long after he had left the bouquet.
But Marinette, who had seemed to be riding the high of her performance the past few days in school, was pacing angrily, gesturing to herself.
He alighted on the railing. She looked like she was in a bad mood, so he’d pull out the pun that always made her groan, trying not to laugh.
“Hey Purrincess!”
She just looked up, nodded, and kept pacing.
Clearly something was wrong.
He jumped down.
“Mari, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, really. It’s not important.” She grimaced, and tried to hide it. “How was your day?”
“Oh please, I know you better than that. What’s wrong?”
She sighed. “Just a girl at school.”
He nudged her gently towards her chair, and she sat, crossing her legs. Chat sat down on the floor below her, taking his usual position facing away from her.
“What happened?”
“She’s a liar,” Marinette said. She started playing with his hair, twisting and plaiting small strands. He had noticed it seemed to calm her down, so he didn’t mind. It was a very relaxing feeling. “She told everyone I rigged the auditions process for the musical, and now all of my friends think I cheated just so I could get to be the lead and kiss Adrien.”
His heart leapt. “Is it true?”
She scoffed. “No, of course not!”
He was a little disappointed. For a second he had hoped she liked him, but no. She really didn’t like his Adrien persona.
“Yeah, of course not. What did you do?”
“Nothing. Even if I told them she was lying, they wouldn’t believe me. The only one who knows she’s a liar is Adrien, and he said he wouldn’t do anything because she’s not hurting anyone.”
Chat mentally smacked himself. Why had he said something so idiotic? Looking at Marinette now, she was clearly hurting. He needed to do something as Adrien. And then maybe she’d like him.
“That’s stupid.”
Marinette fisted her hands in his hair. “No, he’s just too nice. He doesn’t want to see anyone hurt.”
Chat wanted to die. “But you’re getting hurt.”
He heard a little sniffle from behind him. “It’s not that bad.”
Was she crying?
“Marinette-”
“It’s okay.” She let out a wet giggle. “Not like I can just have you come to my school and jump her.”
He goes to turn around, but she holds his head in place.
“I’m braiding, stop moving!”
“You know I would jump her for you. Say the word and I’m there.”
It was true. Over the past few weeks of hanging out with Marinette, she had become one of his best friends. (She had even been warming to Adrien after he started trying to talk to her more, although she still got flustered a lot). If she needed him, he would do anything to help her.
“I know.” She patted his head.
A low rumble escaped him.
“Did- did you just purr?”
“No.”
An incredulous laugh escaped her. “You did! Oh my god you purr! This is so great! Do it again!”
He smiled down at his boots, glad to have cheered her up a bit.
Half an hour later, when he left, his hair was sticking up in tiny braids all around his head, and Marinette was finally smiling for real again.
“Feline chatty purrincess?” Chat said as he crept up behind Marinette.
“I hate you,” she said, laughter in her voice.
“Impawsible!”
“I’m pretty sure it is a pawsibility… but purrhaps I don’t haaaate you,” she teased.
He gasped, a hand over his heart.
“Did you just pun?”
She smirked.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” he said. He knew full well why, he just wanted to hear her perspective.
“Guess what happened!” She bounced excitedly.
“You won the lottery?” She giggled. “You got an internship at Agreste Industries?”
“I wish, but no.”
“You became the queen of the world.”
“I feel like it!” She grinned. “Adrien finally exposed Lila! I didn’t even ask him to, but he totally set her up!”
Chat couldn’t help feeling smug as he looked at her. He had made her this happy.
“What happened?”
“He invited her to a luncheon with a bunch of famous people, a lot of them who she pretended to know, and then went on Instagram Live making her talk to them with him. She obviously made a fool out of herself, because he called her out on having said she knew them all. I was in heaven watching it. Jagged Stone literally said ‘No, I don’t know this girl, but I know Marinette from your class, Adrien. She’s great!’”
She flopped down on her chair. “I think I would be fine with dying now, my life’s goal has been achieved.”
He laughed, pleased. “What about that Agreste internship you were just wishing for?”
“Oh pish,” she waved a hand. “This is so much better.” She sat back up. “Alya called me, and the rest of the class all texted me to apologize. It was nice to be proven right.”
“And without even having to make me jump her! So easy!”
Marinette laughed. “You’re right. We need to celebrate! Here, give me a sec, I’ll grab macarons. And a movie. I was planning to watch one anyway, but we can watch together.”
She shot him a glance. “You don’t have to be quick tonight, right?”
“Nope.”
“Great!” She shot down the trapdoor to her room, reappearing soon carrying a platter of macarons, two hot chocolates, and a battered DVD.
She patted the lounge chair that she had turned around to face the side of the roof. “Here, sit. I have to set it up.”
Chat sat obediently. “What are we watching?”
Marinette bustled around, grabbing a projector that she sat on top of the chest. “You’ll find out. It’s one of my favorites.” She fiddled with the projector, and a fuzzy image appeared on the side of the roof. After hitting the top of the projector, it cleared up, and the Studio Ghibli opening played.
She came over to the lounge chair carrying a blanket. “Scoot over.”
He got as close as he could to the side without being half off the chair, and still their sides were pressed together, warming him all over.
“Howl’s Moving Castle? I love this movie!”
“Me too.”
By the time the movie was over, Marinette was lying on top of him, her head right below his, and their legs tangled together. Her eyes were slipping closed.
Chat carefully moved the crumb covered plate to the chest next to them.
He didn’t want to move. He was comfortable here, with Marinette curled up on him, and the end credits music playing. But it was late, and they should both get to bed.
“Mari,” he whispered quietly.
She shuffled. “Mmmm…” she mumbled.
“Mari,” he repeated. “Bedtime.”
She mumbled, eyes still closed, “Well, I was sleeping just now, silly cat. That was bedtime.”
He chuckled, the vibrations shifting her head more. “I have to go home, and I doubt your parents would be too happy to see an alley cat on their roof.”
She sat up, hands clasping the arm rest, blanket slipping off her shoulders.
“No, they know you visit sometimes.”
His eyes widened. “Really?”
She laughed. “Did you think I was just sneaking pastries and two cups of hot chocolate up here without them noticing? I told them after your like-” she thought for a second. “Third visit? Yeah, that sounds right.”
“And they’re okay with it?” He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“They like you. I talk about you a lot, and I think they’d adopt you if they could. Plus, you’re a literal superhero. You have a good reputation.”
Wow. Chat felt overwhelmed. They liked him. As Chat.
“That’s really nice to hear.”
She stared at him, kind but confused as to why he looked like he was about to cry.
“Silly kitty.” She got up. “Alright, I’m going to bed. Good night, Chat.”
He walked over to the railing. “Good night.” Just to be extra, he flipped off before batoning away.
Her laugh followed him all the way home.
The balcony was empty as Chat Noir approached. He landed. It was a Saturday, and he and Marinette had planned to continue their Disney marathon today.
Where was she?
He looked around. Her blanket wasn’t out, so she probably hadn’t been out at all today.
There! A note was taped to the wooden chest.
Chat walked over and read it.
Chat-
I somehow got sick so my parents aren’t letting me go out so I don’t get worse. It’s just a cold, but they’re ridiculously overprotective. I really wanted to watch Tangled but I guess we’ll just have to wait. I’ll see you soon!
-Mari
His ears drooped. He had been looking forward to watching with her. He had started spending more time with Marinette in school as Adrien, but he loved their time spent on the balcony, just the two of them clowning around.
He walked over to the hatch and peered down. Marinette was lying face down on her bed holding a remote controller, and staring down at her tv, her tongue poking out.
He smiled down at her, happy to have seen her. He turned to leave, but his stupid tail knocked over an abandoned water bottle that had been sitting on the railing.
He cringed as it hit the hatch, making a loud thumping noise. He quickly jumped up, moving to hide behind the chimney.
Marinette’s head poked up from the hatch. “Hello?”
He didn’t respond. She was sick! He couldn’t disrupt her, even if he really wanted to.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are! I know you’re here, Chat.”
Silence.
“I’m not going back in until you say hi.”
Chat thumped down onto the roof. “You’re so stubborn.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “You love it.”
He froze. The thing was, he was starting to realize he did. He loved Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Ladybug was still his lady, but Marinette was something else. He liked her yelling at him for punning, how he knew she only ate kettle corn popcorn, the way she would play with his hair when she got anxious or bored.
And, if he wasn’t wrong, she liked him too. The other day he had caught her staring at him while he was making his move in their chess game. And in school one time, he had seen her doodling a little chibi Chat on her paper when he turned around to hand her the worksheets. Alya had teased her for her unrequited crush on Chat Noir, and Marinette had blushed and shushed her, not realizing he had been in front of her the entire time.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
She waved him off. “Ehh, it’s fine. I’m so good at Ultimate Mecha Strike that it’s basically like resting. No effort.”
“Someone’s confident.”
“Hey, I’m really good!”
“I’m sure.” He nodded at her patronizingly, laughing inside at how easy it was to rile her up.
She frowned. “I am. Play me!”
He stepped back. “No. You need to rest.”
Marinette gave him kitten eyes. “Please… just one game.”
He hesitated.
“One game, that’s it,” she said, sensing impending victory.
Chat huffed. “Fine. One game!”
She cheered, grabbing his arm and pulling him down into her room.
He blinked as he adjusted to the light in her room, coming from the dusky Paris night.
This was his first time in her room. It was small, and very, very pink.
He followed her down the ladder.
“Hold on, I’m going to ask my parents for snacks.”
He nodded, taking in the room.
“Wait, is this Adrien Agreste?”
She flushed. “No…?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, yes, I kinda had a major crush on him. Shut up, I know you’re going to tease me! I’m leaving to get snacks, but if you say anything when I get back, you don’t get anything.”
She disappeared down the trapdoor.
Chat was speechless. Marinette had liked him? He thought she hated him! And what did she mean had? Did she not anymore? But he thought she liked him as Chat!
He smirked as he realized he had inadvertently gotten her to fall for him twice.
Marinette reappeared, carrying a plate of palmiers.
She glared at him as he smirked at her.
“Not a word.”
He raised his hands in protest. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”
She put the plate down and grabbed another controller for him.
“But if I were, I’d say you have a type.” He gestures to himself.
Marinette hit him with a pillow, and he grunted.
She sits back into the chaise. “My parents say you can stay as long as you don’t mind getting sick.”
“This cat ne-fur gets sick.”
She smacked him with the pillow again.
A few rounds later, Marinette was cheering and he was grumbling at the latest loss.
“I quit.”
“I thought you were ‘meow-nificant,’” she teased.
“Whatever,” he moaned as he pulled himself up onto the roof. “I’ll see ya around. If I ever get over my losses here.”
“You’ll recover.”
“No sympathy,” he said, and leapt away after throwing her a quick salute.
“Truth.”
“What’s your most embarrassing moment?”
Chat grimaced.
“Okay, so when I was younger, like 10, my parents had this big party. I got bored, and I went to play in the garden. I saw a frog, and I really wanted to catch it, so I chased after it. It escaped past a river, but I was running, so I slipped and fell face first into the river. I got covered in mud and water. The party was in the countryside, at a restaurant, so when I got in there, there wasn’t anything to change into. I was literally covered in mud, so I had to change somehow, so they made me rinse off in the sink and then I had to wear a tablecloth toga for the rest of the night. Next to all these people in suits and gorgeous dresses. Plus they couldn’t get all of the mud out of my hair so it dried standing on end. In all the pictures from that night I look like a tiny hobo who somehow crashed the party. It was horrible. My mom laughed but my dad was so mad.”
Marinette laughed so hard she snorted.
“Oh my god,” she choked. “The imagery of you looking like Muk, the pokemon, will not leave my mind.”
He laughed. “Looking back it was funny, but I was so embarrassed. Anyway, my turn!”
“Dare.”
He thought for a second. “I dare you to buy a Chat Noir onesie.”
She smirked. “Why buy when you can make one?”
He gasped. “You’re gonna make one?”
“Well, actually, this was before the dare, but I kinda already did? I was going to make you a Ladybug onesie but it’s not finished yet.”
“You did not!” She nodded. “You are the best person ever!”
She stood up. “I’ll go grab mine.”
Chat was practically vibrating with excitement by the time Marinette climbed back up wearing an adorable oversized onesie.
It had a huge hood with two cat ears, a felted cat tail, and a bell around the neck, along with a green paw print over her heart. Chat’s heart was beating out of his chest.
“You look amazing.”
She blushed. “Thanks.”
He stepped closer, and, tweaking one of the cat ears, said softly “No, really. You look so good.”
“Chat…”
“Yes?”
Her blue eyes met his.
“I dare you to kiss me.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. It was perfect. Everything he’d imagined and then some.
“You taste like cookies,” he whispered as he pulled back.
“You taste like cheese.”
“Damn Plagg.”
“Forget Plagg,” she said as she flicked his bell before kissing him again.
Even if he had tried, Chat didn’t think he could remember, or even think, about anything other than Marinette.
Her soft lips, the way her hand tangled in his hair, how she felt pressed up close to him.
Marinette was nothing if not memorable.
There she was.
Chat took a nervous breath as she got closer.
“My lady.”
“Hello Chat,” Ladybug said as she landed next to him on the deck of the Eiffel Tower.
“What did you need to discuss?”
He gulped. He had no idea how she was going to react.
“I have a girlfriend now.”
She smiled happily. “That’s great!”
“Yeah. But I was wondering if I could-”
“Reveal yourself?”
He nodded anxiously.
“Chat, I think that’s a good idea.”
What? Did she actually just say that?
“Really?”
“Yes, if you think she can handle herself,” she smirked as if remembering some private joke, “Then I think it will be okay.”
Chat grinned hugely, then jumped off the Eiffel Tower.
“Thank you!”
Ladybug rolled her eyes.
“Where are you going?”
She heard a faint “To tell her!” carried back in the breeze as he rescinded to the distance.
When Chat got to Marinette’s balcony, she was out sitting on the lounge chair looking relaxed, albeit looking a little red. Maybe she was sunburned.
“Mari!” He landed enthusiastically near her.
“Hey Chat!”
She looked anxious for some reason.
“I have a surprise for you.”
“What?”
He wagged a finger at her. “Nu-uh. Lie down, and close your eyes.”
She rolled her eyes at him, but did it.
Chat walked over and sat next to her, looking down at her. He was really about to do this. It felt unreal.
“Claws off,” he said quietly.
The green light overtook him, and Marinette’s eyes flickered.
“Open your eyes,” he said. “You’re under Agreste.”
Her eyes opened, and she took him in in utter disbelief. “Adrien?” She blinked. “I’ve been making out with you this entire time?”
“Yup,” he said happily.
She facepalmed.
“Wait, are you disappointed?”
She sat up quickly, almost knocking their heads together. “No! I just can’t believe you revealed yourself with a pun. You idiot. I can’t believe I agreed to date you.”
Adrien leaned forward and kissed her. “Too late to back out now.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” She steeled herself. “There’s just one more thing to say.”
He waited, curious.
“Spots on.”
As the pink light covered her, he gasped.
“Ladybug?”
She smiled nervously. “Hey kitty.”
Adrien laughed incredulously.
“I thought black cats were supposed to be bad luck, but I guess not. Mari, I’m so happy.”
She hugged him, burying her face in his shirt.
“We cancel each other out. A perfect pair.”
He lifted her up and set her on his lap.
“We really are,” he said, and kissed her again.