Wondering Minds

Chapter One: It Starts with a Rooftop Conversation

She was supposed to meet up with a group of friends from class. Alya and Nino had a date tonight and Adrien said he would pass on the event. Marinette thought it might be fun but she wasn't committed to going. Alix, Nathaniel, Kim and the others were her friends too but without Alya, Nino and Adrien there, Marinette could just as soon pass. Passing is just what she decided.

Marinette sent a quick text to Alix so she could tell the others. She entered Le Grand Paris and sneaked her way to the restricted areas. Marinette sneaked a peak on the roof and he still sat in the same place. She never transformed unless for a good reason but her partner here seemed to go around as his alter ego in times of peace. Marinette stepped into sight, making her presence known to the feline superhero.

"Marinette, what are you doing here?" The other half of their duo sat perched on the wall, his attention on no one thing. What she was doing was risky, she could already hear the lecture Tikki would give, but it was her chance. Marinette didn't know if another chance like this would present itself.

"I hope I'm not intruding. I saw you up here and it looked like you were lonely. Where's Ladybug?" Marinette stifled a giggle. She felt so bad!

"Oh, we don't hang out all the time. I was just marking my territory." Marinette fought not to roll her eyes. He stretched his arms out, coming to a stand in a flash. "Don't you have somewhere to be? I saw a couple of your classmates pass by here not too long ago. It's not too late to catch up to them."

"I was going to go but I decided there was nothing there for me. I thought maybe I could come give you some company. If that's all right with you of course." This was too good to be true. She could get to know her partner without any of the risk to herself. No beeping, no akumas and best of all, Cat Noir had no idea. Any information she shared, she'd share about Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette would never pry into his secret identity, but she was afraid she didn't trust her partner to do the same.

"You'd rather spend time with me than your friends," Cat asked, surprise in his eyes. "I didn't know you ran a blog too." Realization dawned in his feline eyes. "You're doing this for Alya, right?"

"No," Marinette said, her voice louder than required. "I have no alternate motives, Cat Noir. I just wanted to meet you." Marinette's cheeks burned a bright red. They knew nothing about each other. Was it so wrong that she wanted to know more about him?

"Well, then," Cat chuckled. "I'm Cat Noir. You can call me Cat if you like."

Marinette reached her hand out. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Cat shook her hand.

Cat blushed, his eyes holding a joke he didn't share. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"What are you doing up here," Marinette asked. "You have a life outside your superhero personality. Why aren't you there?" Marinette moved beside the masked hero, sitting on the bank. He reclaimed his spot, beside of her.

"How do you know I have a life," Cat asked, eyeing her suspiciously. Marinette paled for a second, going through her head as to why Cat would be suspicious. She hoped he didn't see through her. Marinette realized it wasn't as risk-free as she had thought.

"That's why you're always running off right? You and Ladybug have civilian forms? You've mentioned it before… On TV that is." Marinette couldn't look him in the eye. She started to have her doubts but her stubbornness wouldn't let her back out now.

"Oh, right." Cat laughed as if he were relieved. "Sometimes I patrol the streets. Other times I just hang out as Cat Noir. My ring can sustain me unless I use my power. Then I run the risk of losing my transformation if I use my Cataclysm power."

"Oh, so you can remain Cat Noir so long as you don't use your special attack? That's interesting," Marinette pretended excitement. "Why aren't you with your friends, family or girlfriend?" Marinette looked down in embarrassment. Surely Cat Noir had a girlfriend in real life. He was a good looking guy.

"Why aren't you," Cat turned her question back on her.

"My parents run a bakery so they're kind of busy right now. We usually have family nights. I was supposed to hang out with my friends but two of them had a date tonight. My only real friend is Alya so I didn't want her to feel guilty. Now your turn." That's what she wanted from him, she realized. If he spent so much time as Cat Noir, more than she knew about, what was home like?

Cat looked happy, his eyes sparkling in delight. "I just didn't want to go out tonight." His eyes burned in excitement but his statement was less than exciting.

"What," Marinette asked. "What's so funny? My hair isn't messed up is it?" She reached her hands to her head to smooth any fly aways. The wind was whipping pretty hard above the hotel.

Cat went on the defensive, "Oh, no. You're perfect. I'm just… Surprised is all. You seem shy most of the time." Cat resumed that dumb grin. Marinette decided she kind of liked it.

"I guess I can be painfully shy," Marinette said, wanting to kick herself. She shouldn't be this comfortable with Cat Noir. She had to be careful. She was seriously invading his privacy as a partner. Marinette felt stupid, but determined.

"I like it. It looks good on you," Cat said, the grin lighting up his face.

"So why are you up here? A popular guy like you must have something to do in the evening." She had to drag that answer out of him. Marinette limited her time as Ladybug. Why was Cat Noir lurking on rooftops and most of all, going on patrol? What was he looking for? That was a question best reserved for when she was Ladybug.

"I was invited to hang out with a group from school but I passed. My best friend couldn't come so I didn't want to bother anyone else." His voice was quiet but he did try to open up. Why was she doing this to him, Marinette wondered. She briefly wondered why he did it to himself and opened up to her. Marinette convinced herself that she couldn't have been the only one he opened up to.

"Your parents or maybe a girlfriend?" Marinette's head swam as she realized she was asking Cat about his love life.

Cat gave her one of his signature grins. "Well, no girlfriend. I like this one girl but she… Well, she don't like me." The grin fell and Marinette's heart ached for him. She understood where he was coming from there.

"No way! I'm sorry to hear that, Cat. You're a great guy. At least you have the courage to talk to your crush. I blather like an idiot." It looked like they had more in common than superpowers.

"You have a crush," Cat asked. He sit up on the ledge a bit to get a better look at her. Marinette contemplated telling him about Adrien. She was asking such invasive questions, all the while he had no idea it was really her. She could expose this dark side of herself.

"This one guy who goes to my school. I might have gone tonight if he would have been there… But I could have never said anything to him. I knitted him a scarf for his birthday once. I was too stupid to even give it to him." Marinette sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. It was so easy to open up to him. Marinette credited it to all the things they had been through together.

"You knitted a scarf. For this guy's birthday? Why didn't you give it to him," Cat asked. Oh, boy, was she really going here. She steeled her nerves.

"I tried several times," Marinette tried to control her insecurities. "I'm just a mess around him. He ended up receiving it but something happened and he thought it was from his dad." Cat swallowed hard, coughing fits nearly shaking him silly. "Cat? Are you all right? What's the matter?"

"Sorry. I-I just… Cat got my tongue." Cat looked extremely uncomfortable… And a tad angry if Marinette could guess right. "So you knitted this guy a scarf, gave it to him somehow and he thinks his dad gave it to him. Why didn't you tell him the truth?" Yes, that was definitely anger.

"You sure you're all right," Marinette asked to confirm. Cat nodded, so she continued. "He was so happy. He really liked it and I couldn't stand to break his heart. And for what? It wasn't like me telling him would change anything." This wasn't so hard to say aloud. Marinette didn't regret what she done that day. Adrien had been so happy and she considered it another birthday present for him.

"You'd get the credit you deserved. You made this, Marinette. It's not like you bought it from a store. You deserved to take the credit. His father shouldn't have got the credit that he didn't deserve." Boy this got Cat hot under his bell. Marinette smiled, seeing him so fiercely protective of her. It gave her swelling pride but oddly she didn't know why.

"It's over, though, and I really don't mind. I care about this boy. Who am I to hurt him?" It may have sounded like she was trying to pacify him but she liked him riled up. Cat always was his best when he got like this.

"You're a better person than he knew," Cat said quietly. That anger was there but it muted considerably. "So why can't you talk to this guy? Is he mean to you?"

"Heavens no. He's perfect. I'm just a loser and don't deserve someone like that." Marinette looked down, not liking where this was going. Depression ate at her soul and her fears were suddenly staring her in the eye. It was hard to convince herself she deserved a guy like Adrien.

"Don't you believe that," Cat said, lifting her chin. "You are such an amazing girl, Marinette. He's the one who doesn't deserve you." The look he gave her made her want to believe it. This pep talk was different than the ones Alya gave. His last sentence registered in her mind.

"Hey, Adrien is an incredible person." Cat's eyes looked strangled for half a second but Marinette picked up on it. "What's with you? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Sorry. Please continue." This cat sure was weird.

"I'd rather not. I just can't talk to him. He's leaps and bounds above my level." Marinette wanted him to convince her again. He wanted to see that same look he gave Ladybug. Who in the world turned this amazing guy down?

"I think you're wrong but I know the feeling. I think you should try talking to him, though. You might learn how easy it really is." A burn in Marinette's gut filled her with euphoria. Marinette needed to change the subject. Their talk was confusing her. Cat was being nice. Besides, she liked Adrien. She definitely didn't like Cat Noir… definitely.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, what about your family? I understand your need for privacy. I just want to know where you come from." God she wanted to know.

"I can't tell you a lot. Believe me, it's for your own good. But… I live with my dad. We don't get along too well. I don't have any siblings." Marinette knew it. He was running from his home life. She'd deal with that as Ladybug too.

"You come from a wealthy family don't you," Marinette asked, smirking. Keep him talking. She liked his company.

"Why do you say that," Cat smirked back at her. This was the playful banter they were so famous for.

"I just get this impression you have things handed to you on a silver platter."

"Only my food gets handed to me on a platter, little lady."

"So you're not rich," Marinette teased.

Cat's teasing faltered, making Marinette giggle. "I never said that."

"I know you kitty."

Cat smirked at her. "You're really incredible, Marinette. I want you to know that."

"So are you, Cat Noir. You might not get the spotlight as much, but Ladybug would be nothing without you."

"That's not true at all. Ladybug is the hero. I pick up the pieces. Well, tear them down rather. Cataclysm." Cat smirked.

"Ladybug doesn't make you feel like that, does she," Marinette asked, concerned.

"No. Lord no. Ladybug… She's something entirely else. When I'm with her, I feel like someone. I mean, I love my powers. But she makes it worth it. All the bruises, all the scars, all the pain… She's worth it. My powers make me special enough to know her."

"Cat, you are special. I know it must seem weird. Sometimes, you think, why me. But you were given this for a reason." Marinette tried to walk a thin line. She needed him to hear this but she couldn't risk her secret identity.

"What do you know about these powers," Cat asked, looking at her.

"Nothing! I mean, we've speculated. Ladybug destroys the akuma by breaking something. It's usually something important to the person being akumatised. We know the ring and the earrings are important. So we have thought, that, well you two were chosen."

"That's actually pretty good," Cat chuckled. "Yeah. When I have my ring, called a miraculous, I can transform into Cat Noir. But no one chose me. I found the ring."

"Wait, you found it," Marinette asked, confused. "Like it appeared one day out of the blue."

"No. It was in my mother's things. I held onto it a long time before I tried it on." Cat chuckled sadly. "I haven't even told Ladybug how I got my powers."

Marinette knew that was true. The earrings appeared one day. In the middle of her desk. In the middle of the day. She was home working on a design. She rolled down to grab a spool of thread and when she rolled back they were right in front of her. She put them on and the rest is history.

"Did your mother say anything to you about it," Marinette asked, swallowing.

"My, um, mother isn't with me anymore. She never said anything before then but I can't ask her now either." Cat looked down, shuttering a breath. Marinette knew this was a subject he wasn't comfortable with.

"You don't have to say anymore," Marinette said. "I think you should tell Ladybug about this though. You're a team. There should be no secrets between you."

"Thank you Marinette for talking to me. You made me feel like a real person tonight."

"Thank you, Cat Noir. And don't you ever forget you are a real person." Marinette pulled Cat in, surprising the cat. He gave in, though, and returned the hug.

"Talk to your crush. And if he hurts you, you let me know and I'll knock some sense into him."

Marinette laughed. "Have a good night, Cat Noir. And don't hurt yourself out there. Live to fight another day. I don't know how well your powers would protect you."

Cat nodded but Marinette knew that look in his eyes. Like she, he didn't know the extent of their powers either.

Marinette left, rushing to find a place to transform. As soon as they were hidden, Tikki flew from her pouch. "That makes no sense, Marinette. All Kwami choose their charges. I chose you. Cat Noir's Kwami should have chosen him."

"I need to talk to him. Tikki, spots on!" In a flash, the Kwami entered her left earring and the transformation begun. Within moments and a bright flash of light, the super heroin Ladybug stood where Marinette was. She dashed outside but her heart sank. "He's gone."

Ladybug searched for Cat Noir for ten minutes but it was apparent he had already resumed his civilian self. Ladybug decided to give it up but the next time she saw her partner in crime fighting, she would confront him. Something about his story didn't add up and Ladybug needed to get to the bottom of it.

A/N: This is the first chapter of Wondering Minds. This will be a multi-chapter fanfiction. I wrote this last month after I fell head first in the Miraculous fandom. I regret nothing lol! This story was completed two, maybe three weeks ago so I will publish regularly. I hope you enjoy. Feedback and criticism is always welcome and of course I love reviews!

Mada