*Kicks down the door with fluff spilling from my hands*
I realise it's been a year since I wrote anything but school has been kicking my ass and I haven't really been able to do much other than hang in there.
BUT Season 2 is saving me so I decided I needed to get off my butt and cough this up!
Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I own my own fantasies and even then, I stole a few.
"Oh yeah, Chaton, I nearly forgot to ask," Marinette addressed Chat Noir's back. Her partner was leaning against one of the steel frameworks of the Eiffel Tower, casually slinging his tail like a lasso, "Do you want a date?"
Chat Noir immediately lost his balance, shoulder slipping off the broad bar and arms wheeling as he pitched forward dangerously. Marinette stifled a giggle against her red-clad palm and felt a teensy bit guilty as he spun to face her, his eyes glittering and his cheeks flushed under his mask. Okay, she felt plenty bad, seeing his hopeful expression and she rushed to damage control.
"I mean, three hundred and sixty five dates, to be exact," She smiled apologetically although her tone was still teasing, "I mean a calendar, silly!" She tried not to let the pang of guilt get to her as she saw the slight slump of leather clad shoulders and Chat Noir's quizzical look.
"Alya - you know, the one who runs the LadyBlog - has designed limited edition Ladybug and Chat Noir calendars!" At this, Chat Noir's smile lifted and Marinette let out a small sigh of relief. As much as she and her Chaton teased each other, she would never want to deliberately hurt him.
"A Ladybug and Chat Noir calendar?" Chat Noir mused, drumming his fingers on his staff. A smirk spread across his face, here it comes, Marinette thought with an affectionate snort.
"Why, My Lady, then I must purchase it because how else will I see you every day?" He fell into a dramatic swoon and Marinette felt a chuckle bubble its way up, "Three hundred and sixty five dates with my Bug? Who am I to say no?" Marinette gave up and laughed, half-heartedly swatting him on the back.
"They're limited edition though and she's only selling them in her school. So chances are, you- I mean, we! We won't get a chance to buy them at all…" Marinette trailed off, sneaking a glance at her partner. Hmm… He doesn't look as disappointed as I thought.
"I see," he murmured, his ears twitching slightly. He sounded thoughtful more than anything and when he tilted his head to meet her gaze, he was beaming, "But if we show up as Chat Noir and Ladybug, she'll definitely sell it to us, right?"
Marinette, who had already calculated that the odds of getting the calendar as Ladybug would significantly outweigh that of her acquiring the calendar as Alya's best friend, nodded with a smile.
A week later…
Thank God I'm Alya's best friend, Marinette thought as she dodged another blue streak of light. The akumatized victim continued hurling blue discs at the two superheroes and as Marinette swung around a clock tower she caught sight of the time and winced.
The sale of calendars had begun a good hour ago and given the number of Ladybug and Chat Noir fans in her school alone, it was almost impossible that she would make it back in time to purchase a calendar.
Which is why she was glad she had reserved a couple of calendars this morning. It had been worth Alya's teasing, since she'd never shown herself to be a particularly avid Ladybug and Chat Noir fan. But she had seen the sample calendar that Alya had proudly plonked into her lap at break time and Marinette had to give it to Alya, for she had found some really good photos.
Marinette had pored over the glossy pages with a slight smile, and though she tried not to get too caught up in the pictures, she found herself marvelling over some of the shots Alya had managed to acquire.
Nevertheless, she had managed to keep a steady stream of praise and exclamation going while she flipped the pages at what she hoped was a casual pace and had paused only twice while browsing. The first, when she had been confronted with a photo of Ladybug and Chat Noir doing their signature fist bump. She had trailed off from whatever she had been saying and simply stared at the photo.
It was taken after one of the more recent fights and she could make a rough guess which akumatised victim they had been up against based on the background. It was probably also a recent photo since the photographer had probably followed their progress long enough to note that there was a photo op when they went in for their usual fist bump.
Do we always look like that when we bump fists? She had thought, blue eyes fixed on the two figures in her lap, Do we always look like such a complete team? I know we are, but… She studied the gaze the two superheroes shared and it was almost like looking at two different people. Trust. There's so much confidence in the way we look at each other. Not in ourselves, but in each other. Sometimes I feel as though Chat Noir can read my mind, but I never thought it would be so… Visible.
The next time she stopped, she had physically jerked in her chair, her conversation coming to an abrupt end as she goggled at the photo above October. It was a selfie. One that Marinette barely remembered taking, which meant…
"Did Chat Noir send you this photo?" Marinette had shrieked, HE KNEW ABOUT THE CALENDAR AND HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO ME, WHY THAT SNEAKY KITTY! Alya had looked surprised but grinned.
"Yeah! Back when I made the announcement on the Ladyblog he private messaged me and sent me this photo! I was really surprised but wow! What a great shot. So candid, so genuine and so cute! I ship them so hard," Alya had her hands clasped beneath her chin and hearts in her eyes at this point. Then she frowned, "How did you guess it was Chat Noir though? It could've been Ladybug too!"
"Ah… eh… The angle of the shot makes it look as though Chat Noir was the one who took it?" Marinette offered weakly, "So I just assumed it was him!" and she quickly turned her attention back to the photo.
It was taken on a random rooftop in Paris though if she squinted, she could make out the Pantheon in the distance. Probably one of the times we hung out after patrol, she guessed, noting the warm sunset colours. The two of them hardly took photos because of the possibility that it would compromise their identities should the photos be found. But once in a while they indulged in a photo or two, and this happened to be one of those occasions.
Ladybug was looking directly at the camera. If Marinette remembered correctly, she had been chuckling at one of Chat Noir's jokes. The laughter was evident as light shone from red-framed eyes and Ladybug's smile was wide, caught mid-laugh.
Chat Noir was looking directly at Ladybug.
Marinette's brow had knitted but she had no recollection of seeing this picture. Does he always look at me like that? There was pure delight on her Chaton's face and… Tenderness? She had floundered internally, trying to process what she was seeing. I don't understand. He looks at me like I hung the stars or something. It's awe and pride and something that I can't quite decipher.
She had ignored the slight flutter in her stomach and went back to grilling Alya for details about the photos.
Unsurprisingly, Marinette had begged Alya to keep two back for her because it was imperative that she had one. More importantly, she had to make sure Chat Noir got a copy too. He deserved to have a keepsake of sorts of their memories together.
So in the midst of somersaulting to snag the akumatised object off the victim's head, Marinette gave herself a pat on the back for deciding to hedge her bets on her position as Alya's best friend instead, because she wasn't sure Ladybug would make it to school in time to get the calendar.
Less than ten minutes later, Ladybug de-transformed in a small alley and Marinette pulled her phone out. And gasped.
From Alya: Mari! I'm really sorry, but the stocks ran out so fast and I HAD to sell one of the calendars I promised you BECAUSE JAGGED STONE SHOWED UP AND HE ASKED FOR ONE. PLEASE say you understand! Désolé, Mari but I couldn't say no to JAGGED STONE!
From Alya: I'm sorryyyyyy! But I still have the other one I promised you!
Marinette sighed. She did understand, being a huge Jagged Stone fan herself. In Alya's position, she would have done the same so she didn't blame her best friend in the least. But I better hurry over in case someone makes her an offer she can't refuse for my remaining calendar!
"I'm sorry, Mari! But it was an offer I couldn't refuse!" Alya wailed, covering her face in her hands and slumping over the table.
Marinette stared at her best friend and found that she couldn't get angry with her although she was quite disappointed. I guess I won't be able to give Chat Noir one of our calendars after all, she thought with a small sigh.
"It's alright, Alya," she soothed, a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, "You couldn't have expected such a good response! Don't worry, I'm not mad… Although I'm calling dibs on the next batch you order!"
Alya lunged at her best friend, clutching the ebony haired girl with all her strength as she declared that the first hundred copies of the next batch would be hers if she wished.
Two days later | Evening Patrol
"Why so glum, My Lady?" A familiar voice sounded behind her. Marinette let a small, fond smile creep onto her lips as she straightened from the parapet she had been curled up on.
"Nothing, Chat, just been a long day," She stretched and turned to face her partner. And froze mid-yawn.
Because dangling from Chat Noir's fingers was a calendar. A Ladybug and Chat Noir calendar.
"How- But how… I don't understand," Marinette gesticulated, her hands expressing the confusion that marred her speech, "We finished the fight at the same time! We both left the scene at the same time! How?"
Chat Noir smirked.
"Ah, Bugaboo, I have my ways," He grinned fiercely but his eyes remained warm, like hot cider on a winter's day, Marinette thought before shaking herself. Goodness, the shock must have been too much for you, pay attention to the situation at hand!
"Do you have one as well? Or did you only managed to get one?" She asked, gently running a gloved hand over the front page. Chat Noir lifted a hand to the rub the back of his neck.
"Nah, I only managed to get one. But I've taken the liberty of looking through it! It's really good and I thought you should have it."
Their paralleled thought processes rendered Marinette speechless for a while as she stared up at her partner. Complete team, indeed.
"But then… Don't you want to have it?" Marinette offered the calendar back to the boy, one slim hand over his larger one, gently pushing it back to him.
Chat Noir's responding smile was slow, easy and almost too affectionate for her to believe the light, teasing tone he affected. He leaned in close, enveloped her hand in his and sent the calendar back to her.
"This is only three hundred and sixty five days," his voice dropped to something lower, caught in between a husky drawl and a bashful whisper, "But I'd give you all my days if you asked."
This time, Marinette couldn't ignore the flutters that erupted in her stomach.
Oh god, the cheese. It killed me. *sprawls on the floor*
Just a quick thank you to all those who favourited/subscribed or reviewed my other works, they really pulled me back to writing even though I was thoroughly bogged down with school and other things! Thank you so much!
Also you can pry the headcanon that LadyNoir chill during/after patrol from my cold dead hands. I will take it to the grave.
Let me know what you liked or didn't like! I would love to hear from you! ^^
-Redrose