"Can you believe this is happening to us?" Marinette huffed, tugging at the ropes around her body. Her back was pressed to Chat's, and he tilted his head back to look at her over his shoulder. He met her annoyed expression with a grin.
"Hey, I'm not even having a bad time! It's not every day that I get to be tied up with the most beautiful girl in Paris." He wiggled one of his hands, moving his wrist so he could poke her in the side. She yelped and knocked her head against his. He hissed.
"Chat, now is so not the time! Use cataclysm already!" Ladybug shouted, and Chat rolled his eyes playfully.
"You never let me have any fun!" He retorted, then shouting, "Cataclysm!" The ropes slid off and Ladybug jumped up, confronting the Berricator with a scowl. The Berricator drew up her giant wand and swiped at Ladybug, who swiftly jumped out of the way – Ladybug glanced at the spoiled strawberry sticking out of his shirt pocket – the akuma!
"Chat Noir! Get the wand away from him!" Ladybug yelled, pulling her compact away from her hip and throwing it toward the Berricator, "Here we go!"
Marinette collapsed on her bed, lifting up the hem of her shirt to look at the bruises covering her torso. "I never knew a few flying berries could do so much damage."
"To be fair," Tikki began, buzzing around her, "the berries were flying rather fast."
"They hit me like cement." Marinette groaned, running her fingers across one of the bruises. "I wonder if Chat Noir get all banged up like this."
"Probably! He gets into just as much trouble as you."
"Just as much? He definitely gets into twice as much trouble as me, Tikki!" Marinette giggled, glancing over at her clock, "Lunch break is going to end soon! I'll just grab a croissant and head back to school –" Marinette mumbled, sitting up and wincing at the pain in her abdomen.
"Maybe try rubbing some cream on it?" Tikki suggested, and Marinette forced a small smile.
"Yeah. I'll try that."
After trying to rub cream on her stomach to help the bruises, she ended up with sticky hands and mint-scented hands. She shoved a croissant into her mouth and ran back to school, trying desperately to get the product off her hands with a napkin the entire way there. She ended up just making a bigger mess, and by the time she sat down in class, her shirt had a stain on it and her hands were somehow stickier than before. Alya walked into class and laughed at the sight of her exhausted friend and the mess she'd made. "Geez, Marinette, you just can't seem to win!"
"Tell me about it. Can you get me a tissue?" Marinette asked. Alya grabbed the tissue box from the teacher's desk and sat it in front of Marinette. She pulled out clumps of tissues and started cleaning off her hands, but didn't even attempt to clean up the mess that was the rest of her torso. She zipped up her jacket and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "How was your lunch break, Alya?"
"It was great, minus that attack from that berry-throwing weirdo. Nino and I grabbed some crêpes in the park. They were delicious – and we got a show! Ladybug is just so talented, don't you think? I wonder if she ever gets tired." Alya pondered, and Marinette sat up a bit straighter and pulled out her notebook when the bell rang.
"I'm sure she gets tired – everyone gets tired at some point." Marinette replied, glancing over to see Adrien's empty seat. She pressed her pencil against her lips. "Have you seen Adrien?"
"Adrien? No, not since the beginning of lunch break. He walked with Nino and I to the park and then he ran off when the akuma attacked – maybe he decided to stay home." Alya shrugged.
"Alright, class! I hope you all enjoyed your lunch," Marinette's teacher began, "but now it is time to resume our studies on ancient Greece."
Ladybug took first watch over Paris that night. She sat on top of a building, taking notes for her quiz on ancient Greece – she'd planned on sharing them with Adrien, had he asked (and since he'd missed school that day, he probably would), so she forced her handwriting to be perfect.
The night was quiet and calm. The normal noises of Paris surrounded her – mewing of stray cats, the quiet chatter of families in their homes with their windows open. The scent of fresh bread calmed her and the lights of the Eiffel Tower gleamed in the distance. She took a moment to admire the sight – ah, how she loved Paris.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the harsh noise of metal clanging behind her. By the time she turned around, Chat Noir was standing, but the mess he'd made upon landing on the roof was right behind him. He waved at her confidently, strutting over and sitting beside her. She shoved her schoolwork into a small black bag beside her, turning quickly to look at him. "Is my shift over?"
"No, not quite. I just wanted to sit with you, my lady." He smiled at her, and she rolled her eyes slightly.
"Chat, it's getting late. If you're just going to stay watch, I'd rather go home –"
"Oh, come on!" Chat whined, and Ladybug arched an eyebrow upward at him. "Stay! I've been in pain all day since our fight against the Berricator, and your beautiful face makes all of the pain worth it." He insisted, and Ladybug rolled her eyes at him.
"Alright, fine – just for a few minutes. You're not the only one in pain, Chat – I am absolutely covered in bruises because of our fight today. It's never been this bad before." Ladybug replied, and Chat scooted closer to her, winding an arm around her waist.
"What can I do to make it better, Bugaboo?" He asked, and she turned to look at him.
"You can move your arm from around my waist," Ladybug started, biting down on her lip, "because it's really hurting me." Chat quickly moved his arm to around her shoulders, pulling her closer, "Better."
"You should see my chest. My well-defined washboard abs are practically black-and-blue." He purred into her ear, and Ladybug couldn't help but laugh. Chat Noir's attempts at sexy, flirtatious comments were so hilarious to her – the concept of him ever being serious was alien to her.
"Chat, you are ridiculous."
"Ladybug, you love it." He pressed his palm to her cheek and she moved her face to look at him, her blue eyes meeting his green. "Even if you're covered in bruises underneath the suit, I am sure you look stunning."
"How sweet of you to say." Ladybug teased him, moving his hand from her cheek and ruffling his hair, scratching lightly. He purred and pushed his head up into her hand. She laughed. "You are just like a real cat."
"What can I say? Your hands are magic." He flashed her a grin, catching her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles before she could pull away.
"And that's my cue to leave." Ladybug said, standing and reaching for her bag. "Have a nice night, Chat."
"Wait! My lady," Chat began, standing and reaching for her arm. He pressed his hand into her shoulder, turning her towards him.
The gesture was familiar – too familiar, she noted, as her eyes met his once more. Eyes as green as the grass in her favorite parks, as green as – Adrien's eyes. She'd thought about it before – maybe they were cousins or something, or distant relatives – sometimes the similarities were too uncanny, and she had to stop and reassure herself Chat wasn't even Adrien, not even close. They were so different that there was no way in the world they would ever be the same person. She tensed for a moment and then relaxed.
"Yes, Chat?"
"Can I have a goodnight kiss before you go?" He asked, puckering his lips and leaning in. Ladybug rolled her eyes and pushed his cheek away.
"You are such a silly cat." She said, pulling her compact away from her belt – in two seconds, she was gone.
"Oh, man." Chat sighed, opening his eyes and turning to watch her figure bounce over the tops of buildings. "She is the cat's meow."