"Ok. Marinette. I'm going to need you to do this for me ok?" Alya said slowly, like she was speaking to a child who was throwing a tantrum.
Marinette huffed.
She didn't need to do this.
Chat Noir wasn't hot.
Marinette didn't care what all the commenters on the Ladyblog or Alya or anyone else said.
Maybe it was because Marinette actually knew him, like as in knew his personality and everything, that the idea of Chat being attractive was so inconceivable. Personally, Marinette didn't want to examine whether or not Chat was physically attractive.
He is a dork.
Period.
He makes cat puns.
Period.
He asked her in perfect seriousness what dabbing was.
Period.
Chat wasn't hot.
"No way refuse to accept that this dork-" Marinette stabbed a finger at Alya's computer monitor where a picture of Chat was displayed "-is hot."
Alya glanced at Marinette, then the computer, then Marinette again.
"That dork?" Alya repeated, pointing at the picture of a flexing Chat Noir.
"Yes. That dork." Marinette confirmed.
Alya gave her a disbelieving look.
"Mari. Girl. Close your eyes." Alya said.
Marinette shot her an annoyed look.
"Just do it." Alya insisted.
Grumbling, Marinette closed her eyes.
"Now I want you to picture Chat Noir."
Marinette did as her best friend requested.
"Now, I want you to picture Chat Noir...without his personality."
It was a struggle at first.
Marinette was so used to just looking at Chat's personality, not his actual physical features.
His personality was more important. He was her partner. And while sometimes he could be annoying with his flirtatious ways, Marinette truly valued him as a friend and a partner. He was smart, kind, and actually kind of funny.
Not that she'd ever admit the last one to him.
Marinette furrowed her brow in concentration.
His looks.
Just focus on his looks.
His green eyes...
His blonde hair…
His bronze skin...
His admittedly nicely shaped forearms...
Marinette's eyes snapped open in realization.
Blood rushed to her cheeks and her face heated up.
"Girl." Marinette gasped.
"I know." Alya answered sagely.
"Girl." Marinette emphasized.
"I know" Alya nodded.
She wasn't smug.
There was no need to be smug.
Alya knew her best friend would see the error of her ways soon enough and come to the dark side.
The Noir side, as it was.
Marinette stared at the wall for a minute.
"Alya?" Marinette said faintly.
"Yeah?"
"...Oh my god, Chat Noir is hot."