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I'm taking a ride
With my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
The sound of flapping wings startled Marinette. She was standing at her balcony, gazing at the streets of Paris that had been just repaired after the sentimonster attack. She had just come up here to take a break after hours in front of the computer screen and let her eyes rest.
The assumption of an akuma attack was her knee-jerk reaction. But it was only her partner, Chat Noir (or, more precisely, Astrocat), hovering over her roof.
“Chat Noir? Wha-what are you doing here?” Marinette looked at him, wide-eyed, her mouth slightly agape. She wasn’t sure if it was just a trick of the light or he was blushing under his space helmet.
“Why, can’t I visit a good friend?” he asked, lifting up the glass visor. Marinette’s heart skipped a beat. In her civilian form she wasn’t very close with Chat. Sure, they had fixed their relationship after the whole Weredad ordeal, and occasionally, he dropped by to say “hello” and get a couple of croissants as a treat. But the sound of his “good friend” phrasing held deeper meaning that she couldn’t decipher at the moment.
Marinette laughed awkwardly, trying to hide her confusion. “Ah, I know, you’re here to show off your new suit.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself from handing him such a lame excuse.
“Well, I’d spin around for you to look, but my wings will sweep everything off your balcony if I unfold them.” Chat grinned cheekily, landing on the balcony with a loud thump. “But you can come and take a look.”
She stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder to feel the texture of his suit. The material was quite different from their usual uniforms, probably to better protect them from the cold and lack of oxygen in the upper atmosphere. She felt him tensing and looked up to meet his big, green eyes. They seemed duller than the fluorescent stripes on his chest and forearms.
Chat studied her face for a minute, and she felt herself blush. “You look exhausted,” he stated, squinting. “Are you still not recovered from jet lag? Or are you overworking yourself, as usual?”
Marinette sighed, retracting her hand from his shoulders and rubbing her eyes. “I guess I am,” she admitted. “Spent all evening catching up with my homework. Can’t even look at the screen anymore, my vision is blurred.”
He knows where he's taking me
Taking me where I want to be
Chat stared at her for several seconds with a calculating look. “I guess we both need some cheering up tonight,” he spoke slowly. A big grin spread on his face. “Do you want to fly over Paris? Astrocat Airlines at your service,” he asked with a twinkling of mischief in his eyes.
Marinette gaped at him. “Wha- How?”
“We won’t fly too high. And my arms are free because the wings do all the work. So I can carry you just fine.” Chat looked at her with pleading kitty eyes. “You’ll be safe, I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Marinette took a deep breath to concentrate on the subject, not on the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach at the raw sincerity of his promise. She knew very well how exciting and liberating being in the sky felt. But now with Chat’s offer, Marinette wondered how flying with Chat Noir, without her own powers, would be like. But she was also worried for her safety.
'Of course, he wouldn’t let me fall, would he?’ She mused. ‘He risks his life for Ladybug regularly and has rescued Marinette from danger several times.’ It was her partner she could rely on through thick and thin. How could she not trust him, even after everything they had gone through in New York? She was still reeling from the fact that she could have lost him forever because of his mistake and her overreacting. That strain in their relationship wouldn’t be fixed too soon, but he was willing to work hard to gain Ladybug’s trust back and strengthen their relationship. And she appreciated his efforts, trying to reassure Chat constantly and make him feel needed. Ladybug and Chat Noir had also agreed to revise some rules and find a proper way to communicate with each other when they weren’t transformed.
“Come on, Marinette!” Chat gave her shoulder a playful nudge. “I’m sure the views of night Paris from above will cheer you up and the fresh air up there help you unwind.” He winked at her. “And I’ll be happy to share it with a wonderful companion.” Marinette could see right through his cheerful demeanor. She had learned to pick up his subtle cues and could tell when he was feeling especially lonely. Now, probably, was one of those nights. She just couldn’t deny him some fun and friendly company.
“Where do you plan to take me?” the girl asked.
“Just to see the sights of Paris from a bird's eye view. It’s marvelous at this time, believe me!” The superhero’s eyes lit up with a childish excitement. “But if you’d like to land somewhere, let’s say, on the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, or the Montparnasse Tower, of course, we can do it. Just ask.”
Promises me I'm as safe as houses
As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers
I hope he never lets me down again
Marinette nodded and stepped closer, ready to snuggle into him and start a journey. Chat took in the thin fabric of her pajamas and a light blazer that barely provided warmth for her back and arms. He huffed disapprovingly. ‘It’s not warm enough even for several minutes on the balcony, much less for this kind of journey.’
Chat put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back gently, and stared at her pointedly. “Marinette,” he scolded her, “you should wear something warmer. Maybe even a coat and boots. It’s too chilly to be comfortable up there, even though we won’t fly too high.”
She pouted and went back to her room without any words. In a few minutes, she emerged from the skylight, wearing a cute blue coat and dark boots. Her hair was tied in a bun. Chat found himself disappointed that he missed the moment Marinette let her hair down. He saw her with that hairstyle only once or twice but preferred it way more than her usual twin pigtails.
She started wrapping a big pink scarf around her neck. He shook off those thoughts. ‘Of course, wearing hair down while flying is very inconvenient, what am I even thinking? Pigtails are cute anyway. But maybe I can convince her later to wear her hair down more oft-’
“Chat!” Marinette’s voice startled him. “I’m ready!” She came closer again and wrapped her arms around his neck. Chat’s breath hitched; his heart slammed at his ribcage, feeling her close proximity. The superhero took a deep breath to collect himself and closed his helmet visor glass. He lifted his friend in bridal style, making sure they would both be comfortable. Then, the boy braced himself and jumped up, flapping his wings intensely to stay in the air. Marinette let out a surprised squeak, squeezing her eyes shut. He whooped joyfully and flew forward.
We're flying high
We're watching the world pass us by
Marinette dared to take a peek at the scenery down below them. She didn’t use cosmic power-ups for fun as often as Chat Noir, so she didn't pay a lot of attention to her surroundings when she had an akuma to catch. Now, without the protection of her reinforced armor, she felt vulnerable and exposed. But the dose of danger made her blood thrum in her veins, fueling her excitement.
Being carried by her partner didn’t help her to calm down in the slightest. Marinette couldn’t help but get a flashback of her lonely walk on the New York streets. The empty feeling in her chest, the heavy weight of the silver band in her fist, two devastated kwamis in her purse. She remembered all of this vividly, so she clung to Chat for dear life to chase those unpleasant memories away.
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down
On the ground
Chat was also caught up in his memories and feelings even though he needed to be twice as careful as usual. The magically enabled dance that he had shared with Marinette under the moonlight was one of the brightest and happiest memories from that cursed New York trip. He latched onto it to soothe his soul after being torn by guilt and horror from his fatal error. He vaguely realised that there was something more than Hot Dog Dan’s magic in the flavor of those memories, but didn’t have time to dig deeper into it and voice the conclusions lingering at the back of his mind.
If his magic was a little stronger he’d soar in the sky for hours just to prolong this precious moment. But his arms were already numb under Marinette’s weight, and his shoulders were already hurting from the effort of flying. Chat spotted the Montparnasse Tower not so far away and decided to land there. After all, that place granted one of the best views in Paris.
See the stars, they're shining bright
Everything's alright tonight
Marinette and Chat stood on the edge of the tower’s roof, gazing over their city. Streets and avenues looked like wide rivers and small streamlets of light. The Eiffel Tower with its flashing illumination stood there like a lighthouse. Light pollution, the signature of any metropolis, made it impossible to see the real stars. But the illuminated windows of many buildings had successfully replaced them, shining brightly on the dark canvas of the city area.
It was windy up there on the roof. Marinette was cold enough despite the thick and warm coat. She shivered involuntarily. Noticing it, Chat scooted closer to stand behind her. He folded his wings to form a cozy shelter that protected them from the wind.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, but his enhanced hearing caught it despite the swish of wind. He wanted so desperately to hold her close again but didn’t dare to initiate the contact. Instead, he awkwardly patted her shoulder in a reassuring manner.
Chat didn’t expect Marinette to turn around and hug him. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. They stood silently in that embrace for a while.
“Thank you, Chat, for cheering me up,” she told him again, lifting her head from his chest. “It was a magnificent trip. You’re so lucky to see those views on a regular basis!”
True, he considered himself lucky today, but for entirely different reasons. “The pleasure was all mine,” he replied, cradling her close. “I’m happy to share it with a friend.”
Friend. That word awakened something incomprehensible but familiar in him again. But he didn’t want to dwell on it now and miss a perfect moment.
Neither did Marinette, who just couldn’t get enough of him. In this short period of time, she began treasuring each and every moment with her partner, be it in a hero disguise or in civilian form. She didn’t want to think about the meaning of her quickened heartbeat and tingling skin. Being in this moment, living through this peaceful evening without any worries should have been her top priority.
So Marinette turned to face the city again, letting Chat’s hands rest on her waist, pressing close to him so as not to waste any warmth. They continued standing there for several long moments, hidden from the harsh gusts by the magic armor, before taking off into the night.