- Pirouettes in the Dark-
A/N; This will be a MariChat Oneshot based off a pic I found on google. Please note, in this au there is no Ladybug, just for the sake of MariChat. Also, I know next to nothing about ballet, so there may be a few mistakes. Onwards…
Warning: Starts off very slow. Very slow indeed, kind of inspired by Tangled.
Adrien ran his hands through his blonde hair and looked at himself in the mirror. Ever since his father made him start ballet his life had become less and less meaningful.
He sighed and looked up and down at his tight black leotard and leggings. If only…if only there was a way to be free from his father's tyrannical schedules. He barely lived a life anymore.
Eat, sleep, model, school, ballet repeat. The same routine everyday bored him to no end; he needed his life to change.
"Adrien! You have a performance soon. We need to go now!" The voice of Nathalie commanded, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Coming!" He yelled back, grabbing his black satchel from the red chair next to the mirror.
Adrien ran down the stairs, and out towards the limo.
He looked out the window sadly, watching as the houses of Paris rolled past, only catching a brief glimpse at their exterior.
The limo skidded to a halt before a large spherical building. It was made of stone and had a glass roof to it. The place was very familiar to Adrien, he had learnt ballet there, and performed in front of a large audience every week.
The chauffeur pulled the door open, gesturing for his charge to get out of the vehicle.
The blonde boy took in a deep breath, and entered the building. An uneasy smile played on his face as he looked at the red walls of the lobby. Opposite to him were ticket booths, vendors exchanging money for tickets. Large queues streamed out before the booths.
Upon seeing the star of the show in the room, people waiting in line smiled or waved some coming up to him and asking him to sign whatever scrap of paper they had with them.
Adrien did actually like ballet, he found it enjoyable. What he didn't enjoy so much though, was the way they choreographed his routines, as if he was a very small child incapable of doing something himself.
He wanted to finally have a place where he could be free to express himself in any way he wanted to, not held on a leash.
-Marinette's dressing room-
She looked herself up and down. Was this really what she wanted? A few months before her green-eyed crush started ballet, she decided to take up the dance, in an attempt to prove that she could be elegant.
Chloe teased her mercilessly for her klutziness, and she wanted it to end. Her theory of 'Ballet-will-make-me-graceful' was working for the most part.
She had light pink tights on, and a pink leotard and tutu. Her raven hair was in a bun atop her head. The only thing that made her outfit differ from tradition was the two black sparkly lines running from the neckline of the leotard to where the tutu began. They leaned together, merging eventually at the end forming a 'v' shape.
She slipped on her pale pink ballet pumps and tied them to half way up her shin.
Marinette knew she was performing shortly after Adrien, and started to feel nervous. Her job was to keep the audience engaged, and make them stay, instead of leaving after his performance was over.
To do that, you had to be good. That made her heart start to pound. You had to be able to keep the buzz that Adrien had made alive, and she didn't know if she had the skill to do that.
She shook her head and tried to think positively. 'You can do this.' She told herself over and over in her mind.
-Back to Adrien-
He just made his way past the gathering fans to go to his dressing room. Adrien lent on the door closest to him and let out a sigh of relief.
He picked himself up, and turned around, to squint at the sign on the door.
'Marinette Dupain-Cheng' It read. Wait.
Wasn't she the half-Asian girl that sat behind him in class? That won the derby hat competition? That stood up to Chloe?
Well, he was pretty sure she was.
He'd have to ask her about it at school. Provided he could tell what she was saying beneath the stutter she used only around him.
She was probably intimidated by him or something; she was super shy after all. Adrien frowned at this. He'd made such an effort to be nice and friendly.
Perhaps the incident when they first met made her scared of him, made her think he was like Chloe.
He shook his head, clearing his mind of thoughts like that. He walked over to his dressing room, pushing the door open.
It was pretty standard, really. Japanese screen in the corner, a folded pile of black clothes for him next to it, a mirror and chair against the far wall.
The only thing that seemed out of place was the iPad resting on the desk below the mirror.
Call him a dork, but before every performance he watched part of a Sailor Moon episode. He couldn't watch it at home, fearing Nathalie would walk in on him watching it and ban him.
He looked at the device strangely. How he wished he could be like Darien Shields, and transform into his alter ego to escape the confines of life. Granted, as Tuxedo Mask he had to save the planet, and Adrien doubted he was up to that.
Maybe…he should have his own alter-ego? Sneak out at night and become somebody totally different, somebody totally free.
That way, he would be free to choreograph his own routines, spend his time how he wanted, and be without a care in the world for once.
It showed him the prospect of living for himself, making his own rules, being his own person.
In that moment, it was decided. Adrien would no longer have just one identity.
He needed a name – a name and a different guise, so he wasn't recognised.
A tuxedo? No, he needed his own thing. His own signature look.
A sharp knock on the door broke him from his thoughts.
"Come in." He yelled, waving his hand.
"I have brought some –er other clothes." A short asian man in a hawaiian shirt told him unsteadily.
"Thanks." Adrien murmured, not looking at the clothes the man had brought.
The short man nodded, and set the clothes by the Japanese screen. He left the room very quickly, not saying another word.
The blonde model glanced side-ways, to the pile of clothes left behind.
They certainly didn't look like something his father or Nathalie would allow him to wear. He got up and examined them more closely.
A black leotard and some leggings with a neon green paw print at the end of the left leg.
There was also a neon green cropped sleeveless jacket, a bell and a mask.
What in the world? There was no way they had actually picked out an outfit like that for him.
That small asian guy didn't look like anyone that he knew worked there though. He'd never seen him before, in any of the departments. Not wardrobe, not stage, and he definitely wasn't the presenter. The presenter was a tall blonde woman called Leah. And, Adrien was pretty sure that Leah hadn't turned into a middle-aged very short asian man over the course of a week.
It was probably a costume mix-up. He knew he should return it, and find out who it really belonged to, but he desperately clawed at the idea of freedom.
'I could use this for my alter-ego…what should I name it?' He pondered.
Adrien squinted at the costume sprawled out on the floor. 'Chat Noir.' He decided, looking at the bell and paw print.
"Adrien! Leah's introducing your performance!" Nathalie yelled from the other side of the door.
He opened the door, and followed her to the stage.
"Now, the act you've all been waiting for – Adrien Agreste!" She yelled, gesturing for Adrien to enter from stage right.
He walked onto the stage, and waved at the audience.
Adrien began to do the dance almost mechanically, his mind remembering every small detail the instructor told him.
(A/N; This is where I may get confused. I have never done ballet before in my life, so google is helping me out.)
He started in an arabesque, bending his left leg behind him. Ignoring the cries of his fans, he twirled around, stopping to face stage left.
He lifted himself off into the air, performing a perfect example of the splits mid-jump before he landed with his weight on one leg, and the other crossed in front of it. He dashed gracefully back along the wooden stage, spinning in the air as he jumped.
Adrien landed on the tips of his toes, and bent his knees then pressed the sole of his foot into the wood.
He brought his heels together to form his finishing position.
The audience exploded in an eruption of cheering and clapping. Adrien bowed, and quickly exited the same way he entered.
"He's one of my best friends and he promised me a dance." None other than Chloe Bourgeouis bragged from the first row to a random passer-by.
Said girl's jaw hit the floor when the presenter announced the next act was none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
"What? There's no way that piece of trash is good enough to go after Adrien!" She shrieked, attracting the attention of most of the audience.
Marinette, although she wasn't the most elegant person ever, was talented, and had managed to get herself a loyal fan base because of the skill she had worked hard to refine.
Various people glared at her or told her to shush, but it was Alya, three rows away that really scolded her for it.
"It's not like you can talk. She has talent and a name, Marinette. Sit back and watch my girl kill this show!"
Chloe huffed and sat back in her seat, next to Sabrina.
She walked on the stage confidently, light shining off the two sparkly black strips on her leotard. The slow gentle music started to play, filling the ears of the crowd.
She started off in an attitude position.
Marinette took in a deep breath, and let the music flow through her veins.
She did a pirouette, a care free look on her face.
She leapt into the air, performing a Grande Jete perfectly. She spun herself around again steadily.
Balance, brise, dash then the splits mid-air. She landed perfectly in a demi-pointe.
She pirouetted once more, stopping to bow for the audience.
Alya smiled smugly at the blonde girl three rows in front of her.
"Good enough now, Chloe?"
Chloe just raised her nose into the air, huffing indignantly.
Adrien looked confusedly at the curtain. Whoever was performing after him was doing very well, he didn't hear anyone make a move to leave, and a large cheer when the music stopped.
He watched as a tired looking Marinette, hair in a bun instead of its usual pigtails, entered to the main backstage area from what would be stage left.
She gratefully took a bottle of water from one of the lighting technicians, and made her way back towards her dressing room, not noticing a certain boy watching her.
No way. The shyest, kindest, clumsiest girl he knew was a ballerina that managed to keep the audience engaged after his performance. That girl managed to fall up slides, over thin air and her own feet.
What had he just witnessed?
It was like finding out a caterpillar you'd kept in a glass box had turned into a butterfly overnight.
Beautiful, but confusing and scientifically impossible. Entrancing and magical, yet so bewildering.
He barely registered the fact he was walking to his dressing room, he was so lost in thought, thinking of every butterfly metaphor he could.
He looked quizzically at the costume discarded on the floor.
'What to do with you?'
He scooped the costume up in his arms, and planted it at the bottom of his satchel.
-The next night-
Adrien knew it wasn't right, he knew if he was caught he'd never do anything fun in his life again.
But, that didn't stop the adrenalin from rushing through his veins when he thought about what he was planning to do. He let out a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror, wearing the costume the man brought from him just a day earlier.
'You can do this.' He told himself, trying to boost his confidence.
He decided, if this was going to be the last night of his life before his father killed him for going out unsupervised, then he was going to have fun and finally make up his own routine.
He nodded at his reflection, and walked towards the open window.
Adrien crawled out of it, and climbed down the brickwork of Agreste manor.
He landed on the ground with a soft thump, and he clicked his wrists.
'Hello freedom,'
Now, Marinette usually didn't hang back so late after rehearsals, but she really wanted to perfect a new routine of hers.
She moved to the centre of the stage yet again, smiling softly at the rows of empty chairs.
The blissful silence was broken, and she froze up.
The clattering of the front door scared her.
'Someone else is here.' She thought frantically.
Marinette ran to backstage, picking up a short pointed heavy pole, used on the lights.
She held it in front of her defensively, hell bent on using it as a weapon if it came to that.
Light footsteps made her even more suspicious, someone was nearing the door to backstage, nearing her.
She tightened her grip on the pole.
Adrien could have sworn he just heard some sort of panicked yelp, but blamed it on the pigeons.
'Wait,' he squinted at the entrance to backstage and the dressing rooms. 'Do they even come out at night?'
He shrugged it off, and pushed the door open.
Adrien blacked out almost instantaneously.
'Oh my god,' Marinette thought, on the verge of ripping out her hair. 'I just knocked out a stranger.'
The cat-themed outfit clad boy lay sprawled out on the floor.
'I didn't even hit him that hard!'
He woke up, head pounding.
What if he'd been kidnapped? His father had warned him extensively about crazed fans. Perhaps they'd recognised him.
"Oh thank god you're awake." A sweet voice sighed.
"Who are you?" His words came out slurred slightly.
"I'm Marinette. Sorry I knocked you out – I was up late practicing and you scared me."
Marinette. That was a familiar sounding name.
"How long have I been out?" He asked, more clearly this time.
"Just ten minutes. I didn't hit you too hard."
He shook his head, and the memories came flooding back to him. Marinette she was the one to knock him out?
Adrien's vison came into focus, and he saw said girl leaning over him, a silver pole in hand.
He lifted himself back up, having fully regained control of his senses.
"I'm Chat Noir." He told her, smirking.
"What were you doing here? I've never seen you before." She asked, twirling the pole between her fingers.
"Woah, princess. Put the pole down."
"Once you answer my question, maybe I'll consider it." She replied nonchalantly, looking at her nails.
"I – I wanted to make my own ballet routine, and this is the only time I could." Chat admitted nervously, looking at his feet.
Something about the sad and wistful way he said it made her heart clench. Her insides felt like they were squirming and her heart started to flutter.
"Oh. Why don't you practice with me?" Marinette asked, in a softer tone than he expected.
What even was this side of her? She never talked to him coherently as Adrien, and made an effort to avoid him. What he was seeing now totally didn't match the personality he thought she had. Here, she was independent, confident and very sassy.
"Of course, princess."
He pretended to not know where anything was, nodding at her explanation of the building to show he was listening.
The blue-haired girl lead him out to the stage, gazing fondly at the empty red velvet lined chairs.
She released his hand, and turned on the music at the side of the stage.
"So, kitty. Any ideas?"
He smirked at her, and scooped her up in his arms.
"Put me down you silly kitty!" She giggled, blue eyes shining under the dim stage lights.
There she was, in a situation she'd never imagined herself in. Being twirled around the room by a cute guy in a cat costume and actually enjoying it. Strangely enough, she didn't think once about the weirdness of it all, or how she was trusting a person she just met.
"Aww c'mon purr-incess. Let's dance." He set her down, and they danced until daybreak.
-The next morning-
Adrien stared at the costume laying crumpled on his bedroom floor.
Well, after what happened, he knew there was no way he could stop being Chat Noir.
Even if he wasn't being Chat for freedom.
He would be Chat for that smile, those eyes, the beautiful girl beneath the stutter.
Last night, he saw a different side of the shy girl that sat behind him in class.
And it scared him how much he wanted to see more of the sassy, confident Marinette.
Good thing it was the weekend. He wouldn't survive school if he had it.
Adrien found himself looking at the clock more and more, waiting until he could sneak out and see his princess again.
Marinette looked at herself in the mirror. Tonight, she wasn't performing, but she was sneaking out to see if Chat was at the ballet studio.
Sure, she didn't know him. But he hadn't done any harm.
In fact, he did some great dancing and made a large amount of terrible puns.
"What's wrong with me?" She asked her reflection.
She was sneaking out of her house to go see a boy she didn't know anything about.
But, on the other hand, she could get to know something about him if she went.
She slammed her head against the desk.
"This is way too confusing." She murmured into the wood.
-Night time-
As much as her mind objected to it, Marinette found herself jumping off her balcony, and sprinting towards the ballet studio.
He probably wouldn't even be there anyway.
'Why won't he get out of my head?'
She found him sitting on the stage, legs dangling over the edge, watching the chairs as if they were putting on an amusing show.
She put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Chat."
"Princess, I thought you forgot about me." He pouted, feigning hurt.
She giggled and sat next to him. "I would never."
"This is a nice chat, but why don't we dance?" A smug expression settled on his face. It took him ages to think of that one.
Her hand found her forehead unnaturally quickly. "Your puns are awful."
"So, you think they're a-paw-ling?" He teased.
She groaned and stood up.
"Let's just get to dancing already."
"Aww. I was just kitten about finishing our chat so soon."
She punched him lightly in the arm. "Stop before I go get that pointy pole back."
"Me-ouch."
Then, she pushed him off the stage.
"Princess." Chat Noir moaned, pulling himself back up onto the stage.
He smiled softly and wrapped a hand around her waist.
"Waltz?" He asked.
"This is a ballet studio." Marinette deadpanned.
"I know – I just wanted something a little different."
He had that same look on his face, the one he wore when talking about something important to him – and it made her heart melt.
"Fine, kitty." She agreed, trying to stop herself from blushing too much.
They danced until late night, happy in each other's company.
When he left to go back to the Agreste manor, Agrien found himself missing the feeling of her small frame in his arms.
It continued with that routine, them both turning up to school tired almost every day.
It continued with that routine, until one cold winter's night…
Marinette prepared to sneak out again, looking down at the pavement below her.
She plummeted towards the ground, landing safely on the tips of her toes.
The blue-haired girl made it to the studio very quickly, even for someone of her speed.
Snow fell around her on her way there, coating the pavements and grass with a thick coat of white.
Four days straight, that's how long it had been snowing.
She gasped as she looked at the only door to the studio.
It was completely and utterly covered in snow. No way in, no way out.
What if Chat was in there? He'd be trapped in there for days!
She started to feel the cold, frost biting at her through her thin jacket.
Marinette whimpered as she felt a hand place itself on her shoulder.
"Princess?" A familiar voice asked.
"Chat?" She whipped her head around, turning to face him.
"C'mon princess, it looks like you're starting to feel the cold." He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her.
"You don't have to do tha-" She was cut off mid-sentence.
"But I want to."
Marinette sighed and leaned on his chest. "Let's go somewhere warm." She whispered.
Chat nodded and looked down at the half-Chinese girl resting her head on his torso.
He turned her around to face him, hands on her shoulders, and looked into those deep blue eyes of hers.
"I need to tell you something, Princess."
She looked at him quizzically, but an understanding look gleamed distantly in her eyes.
"M-me too." Marinette murmured.
He took her hand, entwining her fingers with his and dragged her over to a tree.
"Princess – I-I love you." He blurted out, biting his tongue after he said it.
"I-I really like you too, Chat – b-but I also like this other guy h-his name's Adrien…" She stuttered, going red in the face.
That, that gave Adrien all the confidence he needed. This girl, she cared about him – both sides.
He smiled softly. "Don't worry about that, princess."
Then, he kissed her.
To think what would be a long-lasting and beautiful romance started because his father made him do ballet and some asian man gave him cat clothes.
A/N; Well. Lookie there. I disappeared off the face of the earth, and then turn up out of the blue to bring you this MariChat oneshot. This is my second fave ship, and I really badly wanted to write something for it. Let me know what you thought about it. Go on, REVIEW! I spent ages working on this ;-;
LT xx
Note to Beta:
Where are you? I did another chapter to What Instinct Demands. It will only have mild Ladrien cos I don't like that ship.