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When Chat Noir had suggested that they do something for charity, some kind of fund raiser, Ladybug had been more than happy to comply. Although their primary focus was fighting Akumas and protecting the citizens of Paris, they both held a considerable amount of public influence and it did seem a waste not to use it.
They'd put out a message asking for people with any experience in this sort of thing to come forward and offer their assistance, and they'd been flooded with requests of varying degrees. Some proposed charity sales, auctioning off belongings that neither hero wanted, perhaps with an autograph, where all proceeds would go to their chosen charities. Another suggested a Christmas CD, but when it came to light that Chat Noir's comments about him “being more cat than not in that department” proved to be true, they had to turn that one down quickly enough.
(Really, Marinette was certain that someone somewhere would pay for a CD of a cat yowling.. Right?)
That being said, a compromise had been made with little effort when Chat owned up to being a very capable pianist, and the group settled on the idea of a single instead, with him playing and accompanying her as she sang. Her cheeks and ears still tinged red as she remembered his many compliments about her voice, and they had seemed so genuine and heartfelt that she struggled to push it off as his usual flirting.
She knew it would be some months until it was released, but they had wanted to get everything recorded in time for any adjustments or re-records, although she was very excited to hear the finished article. Alya was going to be over the moon, and she anticipated hearing it blasted on repeat from her best friend's headphones during the Christmas season.
Speaking of Alya..
How had she allowed the blogger to convince them to do this again?!
“Hey LB, are you even listening?” Chat's voice cut into her thoughts as she turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. He was stood with his hands on his hips, a petulant little pout on his lips. She could see Alya stood behind him, smirking a little and clearly more than a little excited about all of this as she waved the camera in a hint for them to get started.
Ah yes, that's how it had happened.
With her best friend running the Ladyblog as it was, Marinette had fully expected Alya to want to jump in with some ideas for this charity thing. It had been one of those rare lunchtimes where Adrien and Nino joined them, Alya having rounded them all up for ideas on what to do, when she dropped that bombshell.
At the words of “a calender girls type thing”, aside from yelling an alarmed protest, Marinette noticed that Adrien went red. Very, very red. Nino had let out a whoop and clapped his friend firmly on the back, grinning triumphantly.
“How many of those do you want ordering, Adrien?”
“N-Nino, please!” Adrien had almost begged, seeming to shrink down a little, and Alya suddenly seemed very interested. Marinette had to admit that she was intrigued as well, because if that was a blush creeping over his face, the idea of a sexy calendar was something Adrien was interested in. And assuming it wasn't Chat Noir that caught his eye, well..
If some provocative pictures of her alter-ego were what he wanted, who was she to deny him?
“Are you sure giving Chat Noir permission to go full playboy is really a wise idea, Alya?” Marinette couldn't help but query, not finding it difficult at all to picture how her partner would react in such a situation. He'd be looking at her in every photo, making those ridiculous puns and begging his lady to come and stroke the good kitty.
She vaguely wondered how cat-like he would go, and swore blind that if he tried to mimic a cleaning cat she would convince the floor to swallow her whole. She knew he was flexible, but she wasn't sure she could take the embarrassment of him posing with one leg above his head. Not in that leather, that was for certain.
“I don't know,” Adrien spoke quietly, his own blush starting to calm down, even as three sets of eyes turned to look at him. “I mean he is pretty attractive, isn't he? I'm sure a lot of people would like to see him..”
“You mean the same way you'd be oh so happy with Ladybug lounging on your calendar, yeah? Hey, Alya, make sure you get a good shot of her on February's slot! Wouldn't want my bro to be disappointed, yeah?” Adrien would have gladly punched his friend in the arm for that if he weren't so damn grateful. Not that he could tell Nino that he'd be seeing it in the flesh as she contorted herself into such flattering angles, her skin-tight red suit hugging all her curves so deliciously, and those eyes, those gorgeous, burning eyes trained on the camera..
In hindsight, Marinette knew she had only agreed to do this calendar for Adrien, because damn her, seeing him so flustered and dreamy had killed her inside. If he was in love with her alter-ego, that meant that she was one step closer to asking him out.. Right? At least she knew he wasn't interested in someone else.. Sort of..
This was getting too complicated to think about, especially with Chat staring her down. He'd put his hands on his thighs and crouched down a little to her height (smug bastard, just because he'd hit another growth spurt), pouting playfully at her. “What's the matter, Bugaboo? Camera shy?”
“No!” She denied it quickly, shaking her head and turning from him. She had been the one to agree to this after all, it was just.. She wasn't sure how comfortable she would feel posing like that with Chat in the room. He still harboured a fairly strong crush on her and she just didn't want to make this awkward between them, or at least any more awkward than it already was. “Just... Psyching myself up for it. I'm not really photogenic.”
Not like Chat Noir was. She'd noticed it before, in any newspaper articles or anything, the camera adored him. He normally wasn't even focused on the reporters, crouched somewhere in the background talking to their victim, or just hiding away in the shadows, but whenever he was caught in print he looked so flawless and natural. She still felt like her usual clumsy self deep down, and just wasn't sure how she was supposed to approach this.
“Would you rather I go first?” He pulled back from her a little, seeming to sense that she was genuinely uncomfortable, a gesture that she really appreciated. After a short hesitation she nodded, waving a vague hand for him to go and get in the booth in front of Alya's camera (another reason she felt uncomfortable – what if Alya eventually found out she was Ladybug?) before stepping up behind the blogger to watch.
Adrien had promised Alya to try and attend if he could to help out, but he'd apologised that morning at school with an explanation that a last minute photo shoot had come up, although he'd been able to get them permission to use one of his more lenient photographer's studios for the evening. There were so many technical things lying about that Marinette had no name for, dials and knobs and hanging lights and cables that lead to more cables.. Alya had mentioned something about them being able to use the blank screen behind to insert different backgrounds at a later date, but Chat had suggested that maybe minimalist was better, and they could have some autographs or something to fill in the spaces.
Sometimes that kitty had smart ideas, not that she would ever admit it to him.
She watched as he perched on the box they had placed in the centre, telling Alya to take a few shots to make sure she was happy with the lighting, and she was struck by just.. Well, how at ease he was here. He'd settled into an easy smile and a relaxed posture, something she'd seen Adrien do whenever she was lucky enough to see his shoots in the park, and she swore she could see his tail flicking lazily in contentment. Alya wasn't long giving him the thumbs up, and that's when he started to turn on the heat.
She'd heard of the legendary smoulder (and he'd threatened her with it on more than one occasion), but she was shocked with just how quickly he could go from relaxed cat to, well, that. There was a burning intensity in his eyes as he stared at the camera, tension holding his body just so as his whole weighting tipped a hint forwards, looking ready to spring into action towards the camera at a moment's notice. Ladybug knew that her jaw was slightly agape as she watched him, something he would no doubt tease her about later, and she even heard Alya mutter a silent prayer under her breath.
Okay, that leather catsuit really didn't leave much to the imagination. She found her gaze drawn to his body, surprised that she'd never noticed just how well toned he was. He had a rather broad chest compared to his slender waist and hips, but when she thought about it he did rely on his upper arm strength a lot. Not just for climbing, either, but he would often bound around on all fours, using his hands and arms to propel himself away or pounce.
She blamed her hormones on the heat that seemed to grow in the room. Definitely hormones. If it was Adrien in a catsuit she would have died long ago.
Fuck, scrap that thought-
“What's the matter, Bugaboo? Thinking about how we could take these photos to the dark room and see what develops?”
Oooh, screw that Chaton and his sultry words and that damned huskiness in his voice and his far from intelligent puns. She still remembered patrolling with him when that voice was breaking and she would use that memory of his high pitched squeaks against him if it came to it. Alya was already convinced that the two superheroes were secretly an item, and she did not want him fuelling that particular fire any more than he already had done.
“Carry on like that and you'll get a broken nose.”
“Does that mean you'll kiss it better?”
Yep, she was going to kill him.
At her silence he just purred, loudly, and flopped on his back, twisting playfully as he kept his gaze trained on her. Once more she cursed his ability to look so at ease, so graceful, and so damn confident. There he was, rolling around on the floor like some mewling kitten and he still managed to make it look sensual. Alya certainly wouldn't be short of material on him, Ladybug concluded, watching as they cycled through varying poses, from suave, to charming, to downright risqué. Of course they couldn't remove their costumes, but he managed to do some downright sinful things involving his gloves and his teeth and some artfully swept hair over his eyes that reflected eerily in the flash.
(She still couldn't help but be a little smug when he tripped over a cable after claiming he hadn't been blinded by the camera).
However, now that it was her turn for this the nerves returned tenfold. She hesitantly stepped over and took a seat, trying to mimic how she had seen models sit in magazines, and made a conscious effort to channel her inner goddess (that never sounded any less cliché than the first time she heard it). Still, she just didn't feel right at all, and it didn't help when Chat was stood behind Alya, humming as he tapped his lip with his finger. They did a couple of shots with Alya trying different angles, but Marinette could tell she just wasn't happy with how things were working out.
The amateur photographer had just opened her mouth when Chat tutted, tapping Alya on the shoulder and stepping forward towards his partner, lightly reaching out to move her body as he wanted. Physical contact was no new thing between them, but what surprised her was how gentle and quiet he was being after his display earlier.
She let him move her shoulders, twisting her to the side, a little nudge at her spine to straighten just so, before finally he tipped her chin up with the tip of his finger, looking into her eyes with a smile.
“Silk and sultry just isn't your thing, LB. You're strong, you're determined.” He stepped back with a proud look in his eyes, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips as she caught a flash of a white canine. She could feel his eyes flicking over her and she straightened just a little more under the scrutiny, feeling her confidence grow, and saw him break into a free grin. “That! Hold that, right there, and your Prince Charming will have kittens.”
She stifled a groan, wondering if he was referring to himself with that poor comment or to the guy that she had a crush on, but held still as he moved to the lights and stretched up, angling them, dimming others, and soon stepped back to Alya with a dancing expression on his face.
He guided her through varying poses, each and every one of them bold and brash, not once letting her fall into the demure and sexy stereotype that his father preferred. Facing the camera front on, hips squared, shoulders back, head tilted just so..
Alya grinned as she finished and stuck it on playback so that they could both review the photos, Chat Noir moving so Ladybug could stand just a little in front of him. He had to resist the urge to rest his chin on her head but he could still appreciate her natural scent well enough from there.
“Well,” Alya began as she looked through the photos of Ladybug. “They may not be as sexy as originally intended-”
“-Speak for yourself,” he interrupted in a low purr.
“-But these look really, really good! We might even have enough to do some individual calendars! Or maybe posters... What about keychains..?”
Distracted and talking to herself Alya ambled out, needed to go and return things to the store room and lock up, and as the two of them were left alone once more, Ladybug turned to face her partner with a curious gaze. He was smirking about something that she didn't dare ask about as he sidled away a little, snatching up a camera and bouncing behind her, throwing his arms over her shoulders so he was holding it in front of them, facing them.
“A selfie? Really?” She raised an eyebrow at him, but he looked so excited that she didn't have the heart to turn him down.
“Don't you ever worry about it? About what happens when our kwami move on to greener pastures? When we're too old to do the job any more? I might never find you again, my Lady, and that scares me. At least with this, I can have something to look back on.”
She'd expected a joke, or a light-hearted comment, but what she'd received instead was a heavy explanation. Of course she worried about losing contact with her partner. There had been one occasion where civilian life had gotten him caught up for a week and she hadn't known where he was or what had happened to him. The thought had crossed her mind once or twice that maybe she never would see him again. Naturally she'd thumped him afterwards for worrying her, despite his apologies.
She glanced up to see him watching her, a soft look in his eyes, and she couldn't help but lean up to peck him quickly on the cheek. She may mock him and she may rebuke him, but he was her Chaton and she wouldn't trade him for the world.
He flashed her a triumphant smirk at that but she just elbowed him lightly in the ribs, turning to face the camera then as he counted down, a little flash the only sign he had taken it before it made a sound, and she watched as a polaroid slipped out. She had wondered how he was anticipating getting a copy back, even though..
“Isn't it dangerous for us to have a physical photo like this on our person? What if someone finds it on our civilian selves?” It was certainly a little too personal a thing to pass off as a fan item, and Alya knew well enough that she wasn't a fan of the two heroes either (because that sort of self-worship was extremely unhealthy in her eyes).
“I have a box,” he started, a little solemn once more, “Where I keep everything I don't want anyone else to see. And trust me when I say it's safe, Ladybug.”
He had mentioned once or twice that his home life wasn't great, and she began to see that if he had his own safe place for some of his belongings, he was likely toning it down when he told her about it.
She just smiled comfortingly at that and placed a hand on his arm, squeezing slightly. “I have one too,” she explained, watching as he placed the photo down while it developed. “And I have the perfect sized spot just waiting for a photo.”
“By your leave?” Chat Noir offered her a charming smile, and she was quick to pull his arms and the camera back down in front of them, feeling a genuine smile spread on her face as he clicked the shutter.
“THEY LOOK SO AMAZING! I JUST - I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW WELL THEY CAME OUT!”
They were all crowded around Alya's desk that break time as she showed them the prototype calendar, most of the class gathering round eagerly to see the pictures. Marinette died of second-hand embarrassment at some of the photos of Chat Noir, although she did hear some mutterings of appreciation, but it was when the classroom lit up with “oohs” and “aahs” at the photos of Ladybug that her face really flushed up.
She had to admit she wouldn't have recognised the confidence and poise in those pictures, and she would have to thank Chat later for his guidance. There was something far more attractive about her strength than her femininity in these, and it had been him to have pointed it out, of all things.
She glanced up to see Adrien let out a dreamy sigh, resting his chin on his folded arms as he studied her picture. He may adore her softly curving body and her ridiculously toned muscles, but that was all superficial. Not that he could ever explain it to anyone without outing himself as the black clad hero, but what he had fallen in love with was her personality, deep inside – something he saw reflected in those photos.
Sure, Ladybug had been a little questioning of his knowledge about modelling and angles (all natural talent, my Lady, cats are known for their grace), but it had been worth it.
And even though he'd already cleared space on his wall for his calendar to go for the new year, it was the little polaroid tucked into his box with his mother's old necklace that he would treasure always.