After over a year of cooperation, it became a habit.
Chat Noir, as cliché as it was to say it aloud, was very catlike. At first he'd been more boy than cat, but as time went on and she chuckled at his antics or smiled when he purred, he'd entirely given up on hiding his kitten side, and nowadays Chat Noir would shamelessly find himself batting at her pigtails or purring when she deigned to smooth a hand through his hair or under his chin. Whenever she wanted him to stop punning for half a minute for her to strategize, a sure-fire way of getting his silence was to send her fingers running through his hair, after which he'd promptly melt into a puddle of purring, leather goo.
It was really adorable, actually, so she might have had a part in ensuring the habit stuck.
Of course, had she known it would come back to bite her, she would never have done it at all.
It was a normal day, if any day was normal, at Collége Francois-Dupont. A short break in classes had given Alya the opportunity to show her the newest pictures and recordings - all familiar, of course, since she'd been in them, but she enjoyed watching her friend work herself up over her superhero alter ego.
Slumping to one side, she let her hand dangle off the edge of the table and nodded along to Alya's mile-a-minute play-by-play. It took a bit of concentration, if she were honest, making sure that she asked the right questions - it was a bit difficult when she knew all the facts and more. Her fingers ran through soft hair as she puzzled out her next question.
"-so then I had to take a shortcut through the road just left of that, and Ladybug leaped right over my head, look, here's the picture-" A picture of Ladybug, legs splayed as she jumped, and Chat Noir's baton inching over the edge was shoved in her face. "It was so cool, Marinette, and then I followed them up past that to the square just outside the- theatre..."
Marinette blinked. Alya blinked and then smiled brightly, turning back to her phone. "Hold on, girl, let me find my camera, I have another picture to show you," she said. Marinette knew that tone; it was Alya's I'm-plotting-something-and-not-telling-you tone, one she'd learned to dread. Alya's phone came up again, and Marinette had the sneaking suspicion that she was taking a picture of something.
"What?" Marinette asked. "Is there someone behind me?"
A moment of silence was punctuated by soft giggling, but when it died down, Marinette heard an unmistakeable purr rumble through the room.
It was soft and sweet, and slightly less pronounced but no less pleased than her kitty's purr. It was also a bit less constant, as if it came in long bursts rather than a single, continuous rumble, but it was definitely a purr.
Marinette's hands froze and her head snapped down to the boy sitting in front of her.
Adrien, at some point, had leaned back into her hand - oh god, she'd been petting him for the past few minutes at least - and looked pleased as a cat who'd caught the canary. His hair was extremely rumpled, but the smile on his face was far from the ones she normally saw - it was a few inches too wide, and extremely sappy. Unfortunately, the adorable sight ended when his bright green eyes snapped open and the quiet purr ended in a heartbeat.
Adrien looked like he wanted to say something. Marinette was mortified. Had she invaded his personal space? What was she even supposed to say? It must've taken him ages to get his hair so perfect, and now she'd just ran her hands through it like a child in a fabric shop.
But, well. She did this to Chat Noir all the time, and the note of panic had subsided. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of a good excuse. So... what now?
DENY IT! Screamed her frantic brain, so she opened her mouth and asked, "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Alya gaped at her. Marinette fought to keep her poker face on, even when Nino's eyes flicked between her and Adrien like he was watching a see-saw. She glanced down at Adrien and immediately regretted it.
The way he was looking at her was going to kill her. His mouth was slightly open, his hair was hopelessly rumpled, and his eyes were blown wide and begging, the same way Chat did every time he wanted something she'd denied him. He was probably going cross eyed from staring longingly at her fingers. Her fingers.
Well, guess I'm dead anyways, Marinette decided, shutting down the part of her brain screaming about what a bad idea this was. Her fingers reached out again and she ran them straight through Adrien's hair.
Adrien melted.
Marinette watched in idle fascination as he completely slumped into the back of her desk, eyes falling closed and gooey smile returning tenfold. His leg slipped down under his own desk as he forgot to hold it up and he purred - quiet, but still there, a pleased rumble which only she, Alya and Nino could hear.
Marinette smiled. Write it on my tombstone, Tikki; Struck down by cupid's arrow.
