Pull yourself together, Marinette! Marinette slapped her face lightly. She stood up, walked downstairs and grabbed her jacket.
Marinette opened the Ladyblog to check where Chat Noir is usually seen patrolling. Alya had made a small map of the places Chat had been noticed in, and the places he had visited more than once were marked with a paw. That was Marinette's idea.
Marinette eyed the map and one place stood out. A park near her house. Marinette liked that park, in a crowded place such as Paris, the park was very quiet. Marinette went there to draw in the summer a lot.
Marinette knew it would be insane to think Chat Noir would just happen to be at the park. Marinette didn't consider herself to be a very lucky person and the park wasn't even marked with a paw. Still, it would be a nice environment to draw in, with or without Chat.
o - o - o - o - o
The park wasn't as close to her house as Marinette had remembered. She enjoyed walking, so it wasn't that bad. It was the afternoon and the cool autumn air was pleasant.
Marinette turned to a narrow sidewalk because she thought it to be a shortcut. She stopped when she saw a dark silhouette in the shadows of the apartments next to her.
Marinette walked backwards. It didn't feel like a good idea to be with a stranger in a small space with no people around. Especially when she couldn't even see who the person was.
A trashcan hit Marinette's back and Marinette fell to the ground out of surprise taking the traschcan down with her. There was a small crash sound and Marinette cursed silently. The dark person turned their face to her and Marinette thought that maybe she could throw something in their eye. But she saw a tail.
"Chat?"
"Hi?" A surprised voice asked.
Marinette laughed. Of course the hero of Paris would see her with her foot in a trashcan. He walked towards Marinette and pulled the trashcan away;
"Are you okay?"
"Yes," She took his hand and stood up. "Thank you. Sorry I'm such a klutz."
Marinette was ready to let go of Chat's hand but he suddenly leaned down and gave it a kiss. What?
The superhero flashed a smile. "May I ask for the name of this klutz?"
Marinette's eyes widened. Right, we don't know each other. "I'm Marinette."
Chat lifted a tissue from Marinette's head. "I think I'll call you Princess."
"And I'll call you Flirt," Marinette crossed her arms. Chat's mouth opened in surprise and he touched his cat ears sheepishly.
"My heart belongs to Ladybug only. But I still think you're a princess," Chat said. "So, what is royalty doing here, if I may ask?"
Marinette hadn't realized that Chat Noir would be fun to talk to. "I'm actually on my way to a park nearby. Le Parc du Poisson," Marinette told him. She didn't mention that she had hoped to see Chat there.
Marinette saw the boy's eyes narrow in the dark. Marinette was leaning on a brick wall and Chat was standing before her. She noticed how close they were. But it would be unnatural to try to change position now, so she just went along with it.
"Very cute, but I believe the park in question is that way," Chat pointed to the direction that Marinette had come from.
Marinette felt her cheeks get a bit red. "Oh. I guess I'll be going that way then," she said. "I have been to the park before, I guess I was just lost in my thoughts or something. I'm not always like this," Marinette muttered in embarrassment. I'm supposed to know the streets of Paris! What a great first impression she had given of herself.
"Don't worry, Princess. I get lost sometimes, too," Chat took a step back and walked away. "Let me just say goodbye to my friend and we can go."
A friend? Marinette looked over to where Chat was going and saw a black cat. A real black cat.
"So this is why you were here," Marinette pet the cat. Its fur was soft.
"I stopped patrolling when I saw it. Glaldy it didn't leave and I had the time to go get some food for it," Chat said. There was a can next to the animal.
Marinette looked the cat in his green eyes and smiled. I guess I see Alya's obsession with him, she thought.