Chat wants to cheer Marinette up after a nightmare, and offers to make her some hot cocoa even though he has no idea how to do it. He gets some unexpected help.

Happy MariChat May, guys! Today's prompt was milk. I'm going to do as many of these as I can, but no promises!

Chat Noir jumped guiltily when the lights flicked on, and whirled to see Sabine Dupain-Cheng regarding him with some surprise. "Er, g-good evening, Mme Dupain-Cheng. I, um, guess you're wondering what I'm doing in your kitchen, in the middle of the night?" She crossed her arms over her chest and raised and expectant eyebrow. Chat gulped. "Mar—er, that is, I was going to make some hot cocoa, and—"

"Any reason you're making it at our house, instead of yours," she asked, her eyes twinkling.

"Uh—we were out of cocoa?"

Sabine laughed. "Oh, relax, Chat Noir. I'm teasing you. Tom and I know you've been visiting Mari in the evenings. She told us."

"Oh. Well, please don't be mad, but we kind of—fell asleep? Watching a movie? But then she had a nightmare, and we woke up and I asked if she wanted cocoa, because my mom used to make hot cocoa for me when I had a nightmare, but I don't actually know how to make cocoa, so I'm kind of really glad you're here."

She smiled warmly at the young man standing anxiously in her kitchen. "Well, first of all, you're going to need warm milk."

Marinette sat curled on her chaise lounge, with a blanket tucked snugly around her. "I hate it when I have that dream, Tikki," she murmured, gently hugging the kwami who nestled comfortingly against her neck.

"At least Chat was with you this time, Marinette. It was really sweet of him to offer to make hot cocoa for you."

"It was, wasn't it?" She smiled. After waking her from the awful nightmare, Chat had held her through her tears until the heart-pounding terror had passed and her heart rate had returned to normal, but she'd still been sufficiently shaken that she'd allowed him to disappear downstairs without argument. She heard something clatter on the counter top downstairs, followed by the muted sound of his voice, and cringed. "Is he talking to himself? Tikki, do you think Chat Noir actually knows how to make cocoa?"

"Why would he have offered if he didn't know how?" There was another crash in the kitchen and the kwami looked thoughtfully toward the trap door. "Then again, maybe not?"

"Perhaps I ought to go and check on him?"

"Perhaps you—oh!" Tikki cut herself off with a gasp and dove into her hiding spot, as the trapdoor swung open. Chat Noir's head appeared through the opening, a broad smile on his face as he carried two steaming mugs of cocoa into her room.

"So you can make cocoa!"

"Of course," he returned, feigning offense. He handed one of the mugs to her, and sat in her rolling desk chair. "What good is a knight, if he can't even make cocoa for his Princess?"

She smiled, and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Mmmm," she hummed, her eyes sliding closed in appreciation. "This is perfect, thank you." He preened at the praise, and she chuckled into her mug as she took another sip. It really was perfect! It even had a bit of cinnamon mixed in, just like when Maman—wait. She narrowed her eyes at her partner. "Ch-a-at?"

He turned innocent green eyes in her direction. "Yes, princess?"

"Maman made this, didn't she?"

He grinned unrepentantly. "Totally." She threw a pillow at him, and he laughed, protecting his mug with a raised arm. "Hey, don't have a cow. I was udderly prepared to make it myself."

"Seriously?"

"Get it? Because it's made with milk?"

"Ugh, Chat. No. Taking credit for Maman's work, and making cow puns?" She hurled another pillow at him, groaning. "Are you trying to get thrown out?"

"Hey, it was still my idea to make cocoa." He tossed the pillow back at her, grinning. "And you hoof to admit, it was a good idea."

"Ugghhh! Come on, I just had a devastating nightmare. Humor me."

"Nope, now you're just milking it!"

Now to start brain storming tomorrow's prompt: purring.

I hope you enjoyed it! As always, thoughts, comments, constructive criticism, and encouragement are much appreciated.