Chapter Text
It's all the Papillon's fault, Marinette concludes the first time. If he hadn't akumatised Nathanael, then she never would have needed to team up with Chat Noir out of transformation, and said superhero wouldn't be treating her rooftop balcony like a park.
"So is there anything in particular you needed help with?" She asks, staring quizzically at the feline superhero.
Chat Noir is reclining on the railings, all casual and giving her a cheeky grin. Somehow he's perfectly balanced on the metal bar, one arm propping up his head.
It's such a cheesy pose, Marinette thinks, she almost wants to poke his side and see him flail to avoid falling off the building.
"I was bored," he declares with a shrug and a look Marinette hopes isn't meant to be suave. "Thought I'd drop in and check up on my second favourite partner!"
"Ladybug being the first," Marinette grins knowingly.
Chat Noir rolls onto the roof in a motion any ordinary civilian would find impressive, but this is Chat Noir and she's done the same before. He stretches dramatically - Marinette notices the lean muscles, but again, it's nothing new to her.
(She can't wait until winter, when she can hide her unexpected strength under layers of clothing.)
Finally, he straightens and beams at her.
Marinette shakes her head, but smiles as though impressed. Really, he's such a show off, but it's endearing that her kitty is just like to everyone he meets.
"Shouldn't you be at home?" She asks, relenting that this is just a random visit. She tightens the bathrobe around her, and realises she'd have a lot of explaining to do if her mother or father came up to her room.
"Why, Princess, I have no untoward intentions!" Chat Noir gestures grandiosely, and Marinette can't help but giggle. Chat Noir breaks dramatic character to ask, "Am I bothering you?"
Marinette shakes her head. "It's okay, kitty, you can stay until I go to sleep."
And so began Chat Noir's habit of visiting her roof. When Ladybug brought it up, teasing him that perhaps he's falling for civilian, Chat Noir only smiles and says that the girl is indeed very sweet. He then teases her of being jealous.
"She is a sweet girl," Ladybug says. "She'd be good for you. But I think she might be into someone else."
"Really?" Chat Noir asks, but there's no hurt in his voice.
Ladybug chuckles. "You've never seen her room?"
"...No. Wait, have you?"
Ladybug only gives him a wink and supposed realization dawns on her partner's face.
"Hm, it seems I have competition then, my lady!"
Ladybug shakes her head at the misunderstanding, and settles on ruffling his hair.
"Sun's about to set, let's go check it out from the Tower!"
She launches herself off the rooftop, and let's Chat Noir race her all the way to the Eiffel Tower.
It's all right, she thinks, because Chat Noir recovers easily.
Marinette's long since become attuned to the sounds Chat Noir makes when he lands on her roof. It a soft thud she's certain doesn't reverberate past her room. He could be quieter, they both know, but it's for her benefit.
This time, however, the thud is harder and Marinette feels her desk shake a little at the force. Strange.
The idea that it could be Chat Noir floats into her mind, but no, he's much more graceful than that. Even when she's not directly watching, he enjoys showing off his elegance.
Her mind switches to an akuma that's surface around her house, but then there's a knock at the trap window, and Marinette doubts any akuma would be so polite.
Even Evillustrator had erased her window and soared in. He also forgot to fix the darned thing, but luckily the akuma had been purified and Marinette's window restored before she had to explain to her parents why part of the windowpane was missing.
"Marinette?" A muffled voice sounds from above. Marinette jumps out of her seat, tossing her pencil into the middle of her sketchbook and rushing up the steps to her bunk bed. Tikki zips into one of Marinette's drawers.
The girl shuffles onto the bed and pops open the trap door. Chat Noir peers down at her, and Marinette's eyes widen at the state of the hero.
He's not wounded, to Marinette's knowledge, but his eyes are bloodshot behind his mask and there seems to be tears on his face.
"Oh, Chat!" Marinette's horrified, and edges back to allow the superhero to join her inside the room.
Chat Noir slips through the trap door, scrambling to sit up. He shuts the trap door and Marinette is cautious.
She has no idea what's happened, but it’s clearly bad.
"Do you want some tissues?" Marinette asks, even though it'll be kinda hard to get to the steps from where she is.
Chat Noir shakes his head, and wipes at his eyes with the back of his hands. Despite the situation, Marinette notes that he does strikingly resemble an actual cat.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Marinette offers, because seeing Chat Noir crying... Something must have happened.
"Oh, just some," Chat Noir's voice is nasal, and Marinette wonders how long he's been crying. "Some personal issues with my fa-family."
"Do you want a hug?" Marinette asks, because that's usually how she comforts Alya. But this is Chat Noir, and as touchy-feely as he usually is, she's hesitant when he's in such a state.
But Chat Noir nods, and Marinette opens her arms to him. He shuffles over and lies down, resting his head in her lap instead. Marinette goes with it, and begins to card her fingers through his messy hair.
"You can talk to me if you want," Marinette says, trying not to be too pushy. It's not her right to know about Chat Noir's personal issues. Not even as Ladybug. "It's up to you. I'm here to listen."
Chat Noir sniffles, and Marinette wants to hug him and keep him close and safe. She settles for carding the hair behind his cat ears.
Chat Noir can be annoying and a little reckless, but she's never seen him so heartbroken, and she wouldn't wish such distress on anyone, no matter what.
"It's just my father," he murmurs, and Marinette doesn't stop petting his hair. She's not sure what else she can do to comfort him. "He expects so much for me and I try but-"
His voice cracks and Marinette waits for him to pull himself together again. She pauses petting his hair and instead rubs at his shoulder reassuringly. Chat Noir chokes back a sob and Marinette's heart shatters.
"I'm sorry," she says, even though this is something she can't relate to. Her parents are very understanding people. She's suddenly so grateful she's been gifted with parents like hers. "It must be hard."
"When I do reach his expectations," he's shaking in her lap now, and Marinette fears he may hyperventilate. "He just tells me to do the same the next time and he doesn't even- I-"
"He should be proud of you," Marinette infers. Chat Noir breathes in slowly and shallowly, and Marinette rests her hand on his head. "I'm proud of you."
Chat Noir laughs weakly, and sniffles.
"Really," Marinette says, feeling bitterness rise up towards Chat Noir's father. "I am. You're doing amazingly, juggling saving the world and whatever other stuff your father wants you to do. That's gotta be a lot for anyone."
Chat Noir's breathing calms slightly. Marinette continues, and pets his hair again.
"I mean, I'm just a lycée student, and I think I'd cry if I had to save Paris on the side. You keep so many of us safe, and it means more to us than any of us could ever say. I'm sure if Ladybug was here, she'd be just as proud of you as I am. You're her partner, and I know she must be very grateful to have a partner like you."
Chat Noir's breathing returns to something normal, and Marinette pauses. She pokes his cheek. He looks up at her, face twisted in a too-expressive look of annoyance. She giggles.
"We're all proud to have you, Chat Noir. Your father is a fool not to appreciate your efforts. He has no idea how difficult things are for you."
"I just wish he'd say he was proud of me once in a while," Chat Noir mutters, though no longer seems to be on the brink of tears.
"He is," Marinette says. "Maybe he's just bad at saying it. But regardless, even if he isn't, you have so many other people who are."
Chat Noir smiles, just a little, but Marinette can see Chat Noir recovering, just a bit.
"I could fight him, if you wanted," Marinette offers with a smile.
Chat Noir manages a laugh, and sits up. Marinette folds her hands in her lap, still feeling the warmth of Chat's body against hers.
"I'd appreciate it, but it's not necessary, little lady," Chat Noir is still sniffling, but his voice is getting better. He wipes at his face again, to likely to clear off the dried tears. "Thank you, Marinette."
"No problem," Marinette says, and it seems like Chat Noir will be okay. "I'm really flattered you chose to come to me. I know Ladybug must be..."
Chat Noir shrugs, and his gaze darts away. "I can't really find her when she's out of transformation, and we don't have a patrol together until tomorrow. And it was a spur of the moment thing and-"
"It's okay," Marinette waves her hands. "You don't need to explain." Chat Noir gives her a relieved smile. "You should talk to her about this, though. She is your partner."
"Ladybug," Chat Noir sighs. "She has bigger things to worry about than-"
"Hey!" Marinette cuts him off with a frown. "She's your friend, don't you have the slightest sense of faith in her? Of course she'd listen to you."
"She's kind of really insistent on us keeping our civilian lives apart from our superhero lives," Chat Noir murmurs, running his fingers against Marinette's bedsheets.
Marinette bites her lip. Crap.
"I don't think she meant it like that," she says slowly. "I think she just doesn't want to get your civilian friends and family in trouble. I think she'd still be open to hearing you out about your civilian life."
"I'll try," Chat Noir says, in the tone of voice Marinette has heard far too often. Just to make her drop a subject.
"Chat Noir."
She grasps his hands, and he stares at her in surprise.
"Talk to her," her voice softens. "She'd be relieved to hear you confide in her."
Chat Noir maintains the silence for a moment, before he finally nods, and Marinette smiles, relieved.
"Thanks for letting me in, Marinette." He says, and bowls Marinette over in a hug.
Despite the close proximity, it's nothing like when Ladybug and Chat Noir are in each others' arms. It's just sweet, and reassuring.
"Anytime, kitty," Marinette says, patting Chat Noir's back.
He's heavy, she notes, but it's a weight akin to thick blankets in the winter. Their legs are tangling together and Marinette dimly realises his face is somewhere in her shoulder. His hair tickles at her chin.
Then there's a knock at the door, and Chat Noir straightens and slams his head against the ceiling. Marinette panics, and muffles his cry of pain with her palm. She shoves him to the wall and peeks over the edge of the bed.
"Yeah?" She calls, as casual as can be with a superhero in her bed.
"Dinner's ready!" Her mother calls.
"Coming!" Marinette returns, and sighs as her mother's footsteps retreat down the steps.
"I don't suppose I'm invited?" Chat Noir asks, rising from the pile of blankets he'd futilely his under. The hero rubs at his head, and Marinette winces. It'll probably leave a bump.
Well, lucky for him, it'd be gone once he transformed back.
Not that Marinette was supposed to know that.
"I'm sure I could explain to my family," Marinette says, because she really doesn't want Chat Noir to return to his home with his father.
"Nah, you've done a lot for me already," Chat Noir says. And he kisses her farewell.
"Bye Chat," she says. "Come back whenever you want to, okay?"
"Will do, Princess," Chat Noir flashes her that typical grin and pushes open the trap door. "See you around!"
He vanishes to the roof and the trap door clicks shut yet again.
And Marinette simply lets out a breath.
It's an odd situation, but she's not exactly opposed.