Marinette sheltered from the rain in an alley. The building's roof blocked most of the rain. She was beginning to regret choosing now to return the book she had borrowed from Adrien. It has seemed like the perfect opportunity. His father and Nathalie were working in London, so he was alone. He'd have opened the door and welcomed her in, and then the rain would have started and she would have had to stay there in the dry until the rain passed.
The very clouds had betrayed her.
"I'm cold Mari... can't we just run to Adrien's nice, warm, dry house? It'll take two minutes!" Tikki begged.
Marinette glanced up at the sky. It was moody and grey and it didn't look like it was going to clear up any time soon. She glanced back at Tikki. She was so cold her teeth were chattering.
"Stay low Tikki, I'm going to have to run," Marinette said.
Tikki ducked down into Marinette's bag. It wasn't any warmer or dryer in here, but Marinette didn't have any pockets in this outfit. Tikki was jostled around as the bag bounced off Marinette's leg as she ran. The torrential rain pounded her as she went. When she rang the doorbell, she was cold and dripping.
"Hi Adrien, I um... I just, I -"
"MARINETTE YOURE SOAKING!" He cried.
"A little... it's raining," she said, weakly.
Adrien gave her a little, amused smile. Marinette really was clueless.
"Come in. Now. Let me find you something to dry yourself with and a change of clothes. It's like you fell into the Seine!" He chuckled.
"I -"
Adrien ushered her inside before she could protest, and once the warmth hit her, she realised how much she was shivering. When she had been too cold to feel her fingers, she hadn't noticed the shivering. If Adrien hadn't been standing right there, Marinette would have kissed Tikki for talking her into carrying on.
"Go through, I'll run and find you a towel," Adrien said.
He gestured for her to go into the living room, so she did. She was keenly aware of the damp footsteps trailing behind her. She stood still in his living room, trying not to touch anything expensive. The trouble was that everything in this house looked expensive. I mean it all was, but she couldn't tell the difference between them, so she couldn't tell what would break the bank if she touched it while soaked, and what wouldn't.
"Sit down Marinette!" Tikki hissed.
"Where?" Marinette whispered back.
Everything in this room was white. The sofa and curtains and the rug, everything except the hard wood floors. She couldn't dare herself to touch anything, just in case.
Suddenly a swish of black caught her eye. A sleek black cat leapt over a table, and onto the floor. It raised its tail high, staring at her suspiciously, blinking its huge green eyes eagerly. Marinette gasped she knelt to fuss over it. The cat mewed at her, but allowed her to stroke its ears.
"Hello cutie!" She cooed.
"Hello Marinette," Adrien grinned.
He had just walked back into the room with a towel and a cheesy smile. Marinette stammered through an apology, insisting she hadn't meant him, and felt her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink as she did.
"I meant the cat. Is he yours?"
Marinette swore inwardly. She had just asked the dumbest question ever. Was this cat, in your house, on your sofa, your cat?
Adrien bit his lip slightly. "Um, no."
Marinette's eyes flicked up in surprise. "I'm sorry?"
Maybe it wasn't such a stupid question. Adrien knelt by her side and scratched the cats ear. The cat rubbed its head against his leg and purred.
"There's a few stray cats around here and it was raining and there was thunder and they were scared and I just... animals aren't supposed to be in here. Father doesn't like them. But I couldn't let them stay out in the cold... I have a real soft spot for cats," he admitted.
Marinette smiled, softly, thinking of her partner. "Yeah. Me too."
Adrien grinned at her. He was trying hard to stop himself from looking smug, but he could feel his ego boosting. Marinette glanced up for a moment, and caught a glimpse of a dozen little glowing eyes hiding behind the sofa. She giggled.
"Ever feel like you're being watched?" She whispered.
Adrien raised his eyes to smile at the cats. One young silver tabby leapt onto the sofa and padded across to where they were sat. She stepped onto the floor and padded over to them.
"This is Tiger," he explained, sheepishly.
Marinette lit up. "Tiger?"
"I've been feeding them for a while... they kept coming back so I named them," he admitted.
Adrien was acting as if it were something embarrassing, which Marinette found completely adorable.
"Do you name all of them?" She asked.
Adrien bowed his head. Marinette gasped in delight. "You do!"
"Not all of them!" He argued, but he added, softer, "most of them though."
Marinette grinned. She reached out to grab his arm excitedly. "Tell me all their names!"
"All of them? There's thirty cats in here!" Adrien said.
The look of panic on his face made her smile. He was worried about something. Marinette dared to hope he was embarrassed of the terrible names he'd affectionately gifted to the strays.
She gave him a slightly manic grin. "All of them."
It took him a while to find each cat, and then he immediately lost them all again, as Marinette watched happily from the sofa. She was delighted with the show is her crush herding cats. A good twenty minutes later, she took pity on him. she picked up a packet of treats that Adrien had left on the table next to the chair, and shook it. all the cats came storming over, ready to eat. Adrien smiled.
"I would have thought of that!" he stated, grinning.
"I'm sure," she smiled, and handed him the box.
Plagg peered over from on top of the bookshelf. He had heard the cat treats and was curious about what they would taste like. Of course he knew he couldn't be seen. He just really wanted to try the cat treats.
"this one," he gestured to a large cat with scars across his face and a torn ear, "is Victor."
"Victor?" she repeated.
He nodded, seriously, "He's vicious."
Marinette smiled, "Vicious victor?"
"Very vicious victor!" Adrien grinned.
His acid green eyes were sparkling with excitement, which made Marinette smile back affectionately.
"That's Dr Fuzz. She's the only one that didn't fall for the laser pointer that I used to get them all in here," Adrien explained.
"What did you do to catch her?" she asked curiously.
Adrien looked thoughtful for a moment. Plagg pulled open the laundry basket in the kitchen, to let the stink of the mud-covered clothes fill the room. Adrien tugged on his shirt to make sure the grazes on his stomach where Dr Fuzz had scratched him to get away were hidden. That clap of thunder that had scared her in through the door had made the mud bath embarrassingly unnecessary.
"I think she came in on her own in the end," Adrien lied as he wandered into the kitchen to slam the laundry basket shut.
He pointed to each of the cats that now surrounded them and listed their names, only pausing to tell them off for attacking another cat or for attacking him. Marinette watched him interact with the cat. There was a sheer joy in his eyes that was too pure for this world. he loved each of these strays with all his heart, and she loved him with all of hers. It was enough to make the day perfect.
"and this one…"
Adrien trailed off. the cat in question was completely black, with the deepest blue eyes he'd even seen on a cat, and watched him from a distance, her tail swishing low like a clock. There was a lot of suspicion on that cat. The first time he found her, she was lying in a patch of grass surrounded by cement. She had a ladybug on her nose that she was watching with crossed eyes to try and keep an eye on it. She was suspicious of him, and acted aloof around him, but was very protective of the ladybug too. It seemed to fit her perfectly.
"That is little Lady," he explained.
Tikki gasped by Marinette's ear. "Like you!"
"After Ladybug?" Marinette teased.
Adrien turned his face away, feeling himself blush slightly. Marinette grinned, hoping she didn't look as smug as she felt as her ego grew slightly. Her smile faded as she watched Lady stand up and waddle away. She was so scrawny at her legs and ribs, and then her hips were plump. She was all this disproportionate.
"I think she might be sick," Marinette said, concerned.
"Who Lady? I've been worried about that. Should we take her to a vet?"
Adrien asked.
Marinette tilted her head to watch the cat wander along the room. She shook as she walked. Like her skin was alive of its own accord.
"I think so," Marinette said.
Adrien sighed, and nodded in agreement. Then he paused, and frowned. "Where's the closest vet?"
Marinette stared at him for a moment. "I have no idea. I'm not allowed pets, I live in a bakery."
"Yeah fair enough. Then I'll look it up, hold on," Adrien said.
"I'll try and catch her," Marinette said.
Lady was not easy to catch. Like her namesake she was elusive. Elusive, but not invincible. Marinette picked up Adrien's laser point pen, and shone it on the floor near Lady. It took a few moments, each one timed by a flick of her tail, before she leapt. Lady chased the little red dot across the floor, as did several other cats, including Victor. Only Dr Fuzz watched on, ashamed of her kind for being so stupid.
When the army of manic kitties was surrounding her, Marinette switched off the laser. She bent down and picked up Lady. Lady howled and hissed, but then Marinette brought out the treats. It took a few tries for Lady to actually eat one, but when she did she was a lot more trusting.
"Find a box or something, we can't carry her to the vet like this," Marinette said.
Adrien nodded. By the time they had a box and were ready to go, the rain had stopped. When Adrien opened the front door, a furry tidal wave rushed out. He sighed in disappointment.
"Hey, are you ok?" Marinette asked, gently.
"Fine. Father would never have let me keep a cat anyway," Adrien said.
He tried to smile at her, but it looked sad. He had hoped it would at least take some effort to get the cats out of the house. Ungrateful. The lot of them. He felt a hand on his arm.
"Let's focus on her," Marinette gestured to the shaking box in his arms.
Inside Lady was growling furiously. It wouldn't be long before she broke free. It wasn't. When they laid the box on the vet table, she bit through the lid and pushed her head through the gap.
"Never seen a cat do that before," the vet chuckled.
Marinette and Adrien shared a look. They were uncertain about this whole event. Neither of them knew anything about vets or animals, and neither had a clue what to do right now. They just watched silently as the expert checked Lady over.
Adrien stepped forward after the vet hummed thoughtfully.
"So what's wrong with her? Is she ok?" he asked urgently.
The vet scratched Lady behind her ear, which turned her growl into a meow.
"She's perfectly fine," the vet promised. "But you are going to hear the pitter-patter of little claws soon young man."
Marinette gasped. Adrien was typically oblivious.
"I'm sorry?" he stammered.
Marinette laid a hand on his arm. "She's pregnant Adrien."
Adrien's eyes widened. He stared at the vet. The vet gave a nod. His eyes lit up. First with surprise, then joy, then fear. There was no way he could turn out a pregnant stray, but there was no way his father would let him have a single cat, let alone a litter.
He looked down at the kitty on the table. Of course she was crabby, and protective, and suspicious. She was carrying precious cargo and didn't know if she could trust him!
But how could he - him being Chat Noir, named for a kitty such as her - in any good conscience, leave her to the mean streets of Paris? He knew better than anyone how dangerous it was around here. He couldn't let her suffer because of it.
But his father could make him suffer if he ever found out one cat had gotten into the house. A litter of - what was that? Five?! Five kittens?! Five kittens and a mama in his house. His father would flip.
"She needs flee treatments though, so let me do that," The vet scooped up Lady and carried her into a back room.
Adrien whirled around and grabbed Marinette urgently, taking her breath away without realising. "Mari you have to help me take care of these kittens. I can't do it alone!"
Marinette peeled him off of her, and stepped back, trying not to blush.
"Oh, but what about Nino? It'd be less suspicious if your best friend was in your house than some girl from school,"
she insisted.
The idea of sharing a cat - and the consequential kittens - with him was too much to bare thinking about. Adrien shook his head glumly.
"Father banned Nino after he tried to convince him I deserved a birthday party."
"That's horrible!"
"That's why I need your help. Only you can help me Marinette. Please? For our babies?!"
He looked so desperate. Marinette could not allow the cats into the bakery in any way shape or form. But if she told her parents the truth of the situation, that Adrien was caring for a pregnant cat and needed help because his father couldn't know and would kick the cat out probably to its death, or to the death of the kittens, they'd let her look after them too right?
She knew they would, but how would they feel about paying for cat food for a stray that secretly lived in a millionaire's mansion?
Marinette glanced back at Adrien. His head was cocked to the side which made his hair fall over his doll eyes, but made him look so desperately hopeful. If Manon could beat her into submission with that look, you could be certain Adrien could too.
She sighed. "How can I say no to that face?"
Adrien hugged her, laughing in delight, "I knew there was a reason I love you!"
Her stomach dropped to the floor and she blushed a deep shade of pink. She just wanted to give him back his book, and now she had shared custody of a litter of kittens. How did she get herself into these scrapes?
The vet gave them a box to carry Lady home in, and now they were sitting on the floor of his living room as she ate the food laced with medicine the vet had given them for her. Lady was beginning to trust Adrien more, and brushed her head against him, meowling.
Marinette watched Adrien gently rub the cats belly, softly and happily trying to count how many heart beats he could find, and giving them all names. It was enough to melt her heart.
But when he said, "and we'll name this one Mari, because she's got the strongest heartbeat, so you know she's the sweetest!"
And Marinette became a bright pink puddle on the floor. She couldn't help it. Adrien could play her like a fiddle. But she wouldn't have it any other way.
Ladybug tilted her head as Chat Noir yawned for the third time while they crouched on the Eiffel tower watching for the very large, very angry, dragonfly creature that was searching for them.
"What's wrong Chat, isn't this exciting enough for you?" she teased.
"Every moment by your side excites me my lady," he purred.
"Then what's wrong?"
"I'm just tired. I was going to tell you later but I, my lady, am a father!"
Ladybug reeled back, straightening up to stare at him in surprise. "You what?"
Chat gave her the first genuinely delighted smile, without a hint of pain, for the first time in months.
"My cat had kittens last night."
Ladybug gave him a suspicious look. "A real cat? Like, a furry one?"
For a moment Chat Noir gave her a quizzical look, and then he looked embarrassed and appalled. "I didn't get anyone pregnant ladybug, I only have eyes for you!"
Chat's genuine smile was replaced with a cocky smirk that made her roll her eyes.
"Then what are you talking about?"
"My real cat with four paws and a tail gave birth last night," he repeated.
"Did she?"
That's odd. So did Lady. A sweet little litter of four. One hadn't made it unfortunately, and Adrien had cradled the little thing in his hands, sobbing as if he had lost an actual child. Marinette had had to comfort him over the phone, and had plans to drop by after fighting this dragonfly thing.
"Four. Gorgeous little things they are. So, so cute!" he cooed.
"Have they got names yet?" she asked, curiously.
"Um, not yet. Well, not all of them. I have a deal with a friend. She names two, I name two. Well one. I already named the little one."
"The runt?"
Chat's ears drooped slightly and he bowed his head. "The new runt. After her sister died I thought that the little one would need a strong and beautiful name to remind her how strong and beautiful she is."
Ladybug gave him a sympathetic look. "What did you pick?"
Chat Noir gave her a strange look. Like he was trying to decide if this detail was too personal to tell, in case she realised who he was. But how could it? even if she knew him, she wouldn't know the girl he named the kitten after. Probably.
"Mari."
Ladybug almost fell straight off the Eiffel tower in surprise. Adrien had named Mari on the phone the night before. It had almost reduced her to tears. Chat Noir caught her arm and pulled her back up.
"What did I say to sweep you off your feet?" he teased.
Ladybug bit her lip nervously. She really, really, really hoped this was just one huge coincidence. but just in case it wasn't, she tucked the laser pointer pen that she had planned to use on Chat, back into her pocket. It felt shameful now, that she was hoping to see the boy she loved – possibly – crawling around the floor trying to catch a dot of light. Chat Noir was still giving her a quizzical look, waiting for an answer.
"NOTHING!" She answered, slightly too high pitched. She cleared her throat. "I just mean-"
A roar from the dragonfly interrupted her, much to her relief. If anyone had heard her think "oh great, the huge dragonfly is coming to kill me!" they might think she was being sarcastic. But she wasn't. anything to get out of this situation was good enough for her.
"BRING IT ON DRAGONFLY!"