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"Chat, I'm home!" Marinette called out as soon as she stepped in her apartment; a cozy one room thing with a kitchenette and her work station pushed into one corner, with a mannequin next to it. Furnishings were sparse, only containing one sagging sofa they picked up from the side of the road and a TV; the majority of the room taken up by her sewing machine and bolts of fabric. In the kitchenette was a small fridge, a sink, a counter and a portable stove. In the bedroom was a bed, a chest of drawers and a bookshelf crammed with fashion magazines, with only one shelf filled with Chat's books; his 80s horror novels and cheesy love stories.
The boy just grunted from his place on the sofa as he flicked the channel.
"How was your day?" she asked, leaving her shoes by the door and padding her way to him, leaning over to kiss him lightly on the head.
"Fine," he replied, stretching his arms up wide and grunting. "Did you get me anything to eat?" He got off the couch gracefully and padded after her to the kitchenette.
"I got groceries. Here," she passed him a stalk of celery.
"What's this?" He hissed at the stalk.
"It's fibrous," she smiled, putting the groceries away.
"Cats don't eat greens."
"Yes they do. In the wild."
Stumped, he pouted and sat back on the couch, nibbling at the stalk of celery.
Her task done, Marinette went to the bathroom for a much needed bath. "I'm going to the bathroom now," she patted his head as she walked by him. He blinked at her slowly.
In the bathroom, Marinette was just sinking into the warm bath water with a heavy sigh when she heard Chat calling out for her.
"Marinette! Marinette!"
"Yeah?" she called out from the bathroom.
"Marinette! Where are you?" he yowled.
"In the bathroom!"
"Marinette! Princess!" His yowls grew frantic.
Thinking the worst, Marinette got out of the bath in a flash, wrapping her towel clumsily around her body. She stepped out of the bath, dripping water all over the floor.
"Marinette!"
"Coming, coming!" she called out, almost slipping on the wet floor as she made her way to the door. She wrenched the door open. "What is it?"
His head swivelled in the direction, green eyes wide. "Marinette! Where have you been?"
"I was in the bathroom, Chat!" she said incredulously. "I told you that just now!"
"Did you?"
Rolling her eyes, she walked back to the bathroom, dripping water on the floor.
As she was about to close the door, Chat stuck a foot in. "Wait! What are you going to do?"
"Take a bath," she answered curtly. She's tired and just needed some alone bath time.
"I'm coming in with you," he smiled widely, beginning to push the door open.
"Chat, no!" Marinette began pressing her body against the door. "I'm just going to take a bath!"
"Yeah but, don't leave me alone!" He fixed her a wide-eyed pleading look.
Marinette could feel her resolve dissolving and she sighed, throwing her hands up. "Fine. But don't get wet. I don't want to dry you off afterwards."
"Yay!" Lithe as a snake, he slipped in the door and sat on the closed toilet bowl.
Marinette handed him her towel as she sank in the now cooling bath water with a heavy sigh. She stopped as the water just skimmed her top lip and stared at her pale knees. Chat just stared at the water in fascination, his gaze sometimes flickering from her to the bath water. Playfully, she moved her knees around to cause ripples and he immediately got on his knees at the bathtub rim. His eyes were huge as he watched the water lap the sides. Then, tentatively, he padded at the water with one hand and shook it. When the droplets hit his face he hissed.
"Silly Chat," she chuckled.
Marinette's eyes flew open and she sat up. "Chat?" she called out in the gloom of her room. He wasn't next to her like he normally was. She glanced at the movement by the window. The moon was just a sliver in the sky and the window was slightly open, the cool breeze wafting in and causing the curtain to billow slightly.
"Chat?" She tried to figure out what woke her up. Then she heard it.
" Lady, I'm your knight in shining armor and I love you,
You have made me what I am and I'm yours,
My love, there's so many ways I want to say I love you,
Let me hold you in my arms forever more. "
Singing. Outside. Underneath her window. Quickly, she threw off her covers and rushed to the window, throwing it open and looking out. Her window just pointed to a small alley and had almost no view to speak of. But there it was. There in the alley, amongst the rubbish bins was Chat, surrounded by other cats. And he was singing.
"Chat?" Marinette called out, squinting to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
Instantly he looked up at her window and threw her a wide smile that crinkled his eyes almost shut. "Princess!"
"What are you doing?"
"Singing! With my friends! Come join us!" he beckoned.
"It's the middle of the night, Chat," she hissed. "You'll wake the neighbours!"
Ignoring her, he turned back to the gathered cats. "Okay, a different one this time." He turned back to her and threw out a hand. " I've been alone with you inside my mind, " he belted.
"Chat!" Marinette's hissed louder. "Cut it out, you'll wake the neighbours!"
" And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times, " he continued.
Suddenly, the window of the inhabitant in the floor underneath hers flew open. "Hey, shut up out there! Some people are trying to sleep!" The downstairs neighbour poked his head out.
"Sorry, Mr Reznikov!" she apologised quickly. "Chat! Quit it already! Come back here!"
" I sometimes see you pass outside my door, " Chat sang soulfully as the other cats joined in. " Hello! Is it me you're looking fo- " His song was cut short when a bucket of water was poured over his head. He let out a yowl and a hiss as the rest of the cats scattered into the night.
"I said shut up!" Mr Reznikov said again, shaking his bucket for good measure before retreating back into his room and slamming the window shut.
Grinning and holding in her laughter, Marinette also retreated back into her room and climbed back into bed. She lay there as silently as she can, her back to the window, waiting for him.
Sure enough, he soon climbed in her window. "He threw water on me!" he complained incredulously.
"Serves you right!" Marinette turned to face him, propping herself up on one elbow. "Singing in the dead of the night like that!"
"But now I'm wet!" he said mournfully.
Smiling to herself, she got out of bed again and picked up her towel, which was still damp from her bath. She sat him down on the rug at the end of her bed and sat down herself opposite him. Firmly, she started towelling him off.
"I'm so wet," he mumbled, shaking his hands to get rid of the water droplets.
"I know."
"That Mr Reznikov is a bad man, getting me wet," he continued complaining.
"Of course." By this time, she got him reasonably dry again. "Just be thankful he threw out tap water," she beamed, kissing him on the forehead.
Chat made a noncommittal grunt.
"Coming back to bed?" she asked as she hung her towel again.
He threw off his boots and clambered in bed, kneading the mattress and plumping the pillows. Marinette just smiled indulgently as she shook her head and climbed in next to him, hugging him close to her as he mumbled about being wet.
Thank God tomorrow was Saturday.
"Marinette! I'm hungry!" Chat yowled. "Can I have a sandwich please?"
"I just made you one!" Marinette called out from the couch.
"Yeah but I'm hungry!"
Sighing, she got up and padded to the kitchenette. "You haven't even finished this one!" she complained, pointing to the half-eaten sandwich on his plate.
He looked at the plate and then looked back at her. "Can I have a sandwich please?"
"Finish this one first!"
"Sandwich!" he yowled.
They had a stare-off for a few moments before she sighed again and threw up her hands. Turning to the counter, she began to make him another sandwich. "Here," she set down another plate in front of him with the exact same sandwich.
Chat let out a delighted sound and began eating his half-eaten sandwich.
Marinette was trying to watch the TV but couldn't focus with Chat pacing around the entire apartment. "Chat can't you just sit down or something?" she asked, annoyed.
"Can't. Restless."
"Do you want to go out?"
The way he looked at her with his ears perked and eyes shining gave her the answer. Putting her mug of tea on the rickety side table, she got up and opened the door. Quick as a mouse, Chat sprinted out of it and bounded down the stairs.
Sighing at the peace, she plopped herself down again and binge-watched Project Runway, telling herself that she's studying while in actual fact she was ignoring her assignment.
The episode was barely fifteen minutes in when there was a knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" She got up and walked to the door, opening it up and Chat bounded right back in. "Back already?"
"Yup!"
As she was trying to watch the rest of the episode, she was distracted by his restless pacing again. "Chat, please sit down."
"Can't. Restless." He continued his pacing around the tiny apartment.
"Do you want to be let out again?"
"Yes please!"
She repeated the motions again. And again, not long into the episode came a knock on the door. "I hope you're satisfied now," she sighed, rolling her eyes.
But he wasn't. He continued to pace around the house. But this time she did her best to ignore him.
"Can I go out again?" he asked as he walked by her for the millionth time.
"No," came the short reply.
"Please?"
"No. Not if you can't make up your mind on whether or not to be inside or out." She took another sip of her tea.
Pouting, he sighed and sat on the floor in front of her, watching the TV with disinterest.
It didn't take long before he turned to her and stared at her. She staunchly ignored him as she stared unseeingly at the TV. Chat put a hand on her leg, his eyes set and determined. Still, she ignored him.
Determined not to be ignored, he climbed onto the saggy sofa with her. This time, she cannot ignore him as he lay down opposite her and stared into her face. She stared back into his green eyes and giggled.
"I love you," he purred as he settled his head under her chin.
"I love you too, Chat," she replied, pulling his face to hers and kissing him lightly on the nose. He settled back into his position and held her tightly as she finally got to watch the entire episode of Project Runway.