(A/N): Hey Guys! Just a quick note about the creative license I've taken with this chapter. As one sharp-eyed reader has pointed out, in terms of health if you or a loved ones is turning blue from severe cold please seek Medical Advice. If blue beyond a normal, everyday tinge from cold please do not dump victim in hot water. As stated, creative license in the story allows Cat to help Mari by putting her in warm bath water, but this could result in scalding and or other ensuing problems. Medical professionals may advise heating water from room temperature to warm in a steady process, but please seek Professional Medical Advice if you ever find yourself in any similar situation.
Stay warm and safe this Winter, guys!
Happy Reading!
Chapter Four
He sat on the rooftop to think about it for a while, watching the snow begin to fall and debating how much he wanted out of the cold. Was it enough to return to his own cold home? Despite the fact that the air would be warm, the atmosphere was just as chilled as the Parisian night. If not more so. It was positively icy at home and was only worse when his father was there.
When he wasn't it was lonely anyway, but Adrien always felt guilty for wishing his father was away when he was home. It's not like he saw him any more regularly anyway. Only when he was in trouble did he ever really see his father in person.
The rest of their conversations took place over Nathalie's iPad.
He sighed and looked out across the darkness. Maybe he'd do another round, one more sweep before he really had to go home. He got to his feet, stretching and leaping to the next roof, the chill beneath his paws not entirely unpleasant. He streaked through the snow, contemplating how much less pleasurable the run through Paris was without the brightness of his partner by his side.
He was hardly paying attention to the streets below as he pounced and raced, the rhythm of his run soothing as he thought about his father, about school, about his friends, about LadyBug and his two snowball battles. He smiled. Two in one day.
Friends were the best thing ever.
He was crossing a rooftop when he saw the splash of colour and he skated on the loose snow as he landed before making his way back to peer over the edge. Something the size of a person was lying just inside of an alleyway, tucked out of sight and coated in a layer of the thickly falling snow. He leapt down, catching himself on the fence that closed off one end and then descending onto the snowdrift at the bottom. As he crept over he saw the curled fingers lying in the snow and the flash of dark hair from under the skewed hood.
He reached for the figure and turned her over, and was surprised and frightened to see the face of one of his friends. Marinette was lying in the snow, pale and unconscious. He lifted her from the ground instantly, tucking her light form close as he looked down at her face. His heart was racing in concern as he reached his face down to her. His ears caught the sound of her breathing, shallow and slow, and the sedate beat of her heart. Her lips were blue and she was trembling intermittently.
"Marinette?" he managed to whisper, giving her a shake.
She barely reacted, her eyelids lifting only a little before dropping closed again. She shivered, curling against him for warmth automatically. One hand reached out to curl around his collar.
"C-Cat…" she murmured, a breathless tremble.
"It's okay. I'll get you home, okay? You're freezing."
He took out his baton, holding her easily with one arm. She was light. Maybe even lighter than LadyBug. He wasn't surprised, she was pretty tiny. He launched them into the air, his Sabre vaulting them from roof to roof as he headed in the direction of the bakery. She hadn't been far from home, probably headed that way.
His mind was racing with all the possibilities. What had happened to her? Why was she out in the cold at this time of night and what had happened to leave her lying in the snow? Had someone hurt her? The thought made a fire burn in his gut as anger raced through him. Who would hurt her? She was sweet and caring, friendly to everyone. Everyone but Chloé, but who could blame her for that?
He landed on her balcony as she began to groan, the quiet moaning of someone coming to. He held her close as he dropped in through the open window, landing as gently as he could. She was muttering as he looked for the door to her bathroom, determined to get her warm as soon as possible.
He stepped inside, setting her gently on the rug. She coiled into a ball there, shivering. He could hear her teeth chattering as she curled as far as she could, her whole body trembling violently. Her muscles were spasming and Cat knew she must have been out for hours and hours to be so cold.
And then he remembered how cold she had been after the class snowball fight, how keenly she felt the cold that was only beginning to bother everyone else. Perhaps she hadn't been out that long after all. She seemed to feel the cold more than most people.
If that was the case why had she gone out so late?
He reached for the glass door to her shower, relieved that there was a bathtub beneath it. If he could wake her enough to get her in there then he could leave her with the hot water running and she could warm up enough to sort herself. The thought of leaving her on her own when she was so vulnerable had him torn, but he couldn't exactly strip her now could he? He set to work turning nobs and checking the water, listening to her shivered murmuring and feeling frightened.
Should he tell her parents? Had she told them she was going out? He didn't think they would have allowed her out so late. On a school night and in this weather knowing how easily she got cold? Nope. It didn't sound like them at all.
She'd probably snuck out. He didn't want to get her into trouble.
"- Cat…. c-can't kn-know…"
She was mumbling, and despite how he tried his ears were picking up every word. He looked over at her, watching her hands curl and uncurl as she shook and moved her head.
"C-C-Cat… can't f-f-f-find out…"
He hated the wondering curiosity. She was unconscious. He shouldn't be listening. But what couldn't he know?
The water was hot enough and he made his way over to her, sitting her up. She complied, floppy like a doll but awakening slowly.
"Come on Mari, we gotta get you in the heat."
She grumbled, pushing at his hands as he unzipped her coat. Her eyes were scrunched closed with a deep frown and she whined. She groaned when he unlaced her boots, squirming away weakly. He tried to be patient but the worry was making him feel sick. Her shivering was worse, and he could see her lips turning a faint blue before his eyes, a tinge in her pale cheeks. He had to get her out of her snow-soaked clothes and into the hot water and fast. His embarrassment would have to wait until later. His cheeks were hot but he ignored them, trying to get the jacket off despite her moving and curling up again.
"… kn-kn-know… t-t-tell him-m… T-T-Tikki…"
His ears pricked and he paused with her half out of her jacket.
Hadn't LadyBug said that word too before swinging off? Had Marinette met Ladybug outside? Was that why she was out so late? But surely LadyBug wouldn't have left her there. She would have sent her home. Knowing her she would have escorted her home. She was caring like that.
Focus.
Get her warm.
Ask questions later.
The jacket was finally off, and he dropped it to the floor as he pulled off her shoes. She had a shirt on over her t-shirt and he got that off too, moving to remove her damp socks. Her gloves were off next, and her scarf untangled. She was still curling away from his touch and mewling now, like a kitten and some part of him wanted to return the noise, a feeling that shocked him still for a moment.
Weird.
He debated now. He took down off the top layer of knee-length jeans. She had thick woollen leggings on and they were soaked and he didn't want to ruin them by dunking her in the bath with them on. But he didn't want to take them off of her either, his face burning with shame at the thought.
She'd be alright like that, right?
The bath water was just the right side of hot and he turned the flow of water down but kept the temperature up. A purr built in his chest at the embrace of the heat and steam the water gave off and he found himself drawn to it.
Snap out of it!
Marinette first, Cat crap later!
He reached for her and she stiffened, her eyelids fluttering as she released a moan again. Her fingertips and toes were blue. He lifted her against the weak struggling and her fingers were curling and uncurling again like she was reaching for something. He lifted her towards the bath and set her in the water gently, watching the way her body jerked in surprise. Her eyes fluttered open and the blue beneath the lids was hazy and confused, thick with the hold of unconsciousness.
Her hand reached over the side absently, the fingers curling again as her eyelids fell shut. He lifted the arm back into the bath as his other hand kept her neck above the water. His suit was getting wet but it didn't really matter. Somewhere in the back of his head Plagg's voice was grumbling.
Her arm was out again, and she was weakly trying to turn, as though to climb from the water. Her limbs weren't cooperating and he wondered what on earth it was that she wanted. She didn't seem to know where she was, or that he was there. His worry grew, even as the cold blue colour was dissipating from her lips and fingernails, her ears. As he watched, colour was blooming across her face. Pale and pink, unlike the bright red she wore so often at school, but it was warmer than the pale white she had been.
"Tikki." she mumbled again, reaching.
He looked across the room, wondering what on earth had her so edgy that she was trying to clamber out for it. All he could see were normal bathroom things. A dresser, the sink, the toilet. The towels, the towel-warmer identical to the one his jacket had hung on downstairs. The rug, heaped with her clothes. He looked back a her curiously. She was blinking, still dazed and woozy but coming to life.
That was a good sign.
"T-Tikki… T-Tikki?"
She was calling, questioning, her head turning as though looking for something.
And then he heard it; a sound so quiet even his feline hearing almost missed it. It was a peep. Less than a squeak. A tiny, tiny noise. He turned for the sound, his eyes flickering everywhere.
"Tikki?" he asked, straining his ears.
It came again and his eyes settled on her clothes. He rested her neck on the edge of the bath and kept his eyes on her as he scooted over to drag the rug over. She was moving again, trying to leave the water.
"Stay there, Mari. I'll get it."
Whatever it was. Did her phone have a voice-activation thing? Was Tikki a password or something? He rooted. He tossed aside the gloves, the scarf, the socks. Her jeans were empty save for her purse and her phone and that wasn't even on. He lifted the jacket, more empty pockets. The shirt was a success though, and he reached for the lump in the pocket with curiosity, eager to see what it was that had her so agitated.
He was not expecting what tumbled onto his palm. It was such a surprise that he almost didn't catch it, and it almost hit the floor. He raised his hand, looking in wonder at the pink shape, barely able to breathe.
Was this…
The shape was familiar. Far too familiar and his brain went into overdrive.
No way.
"Tikki?"
Marinette's voice slurred and broke the surprise, and the little creature moved, emitting the little peeping noise he had heard before. Two blue slits appeared and he almost dropped it. The tiny wings fluttered once, weakly.
A Kwami.
He had a Kwami in his hand.
Cat Noir turned to look at Marinette, watching as she groaned and blinked awake again, her eyes a little clearer. The hand that was reaching curled again and he caught it, gently depositing the little pink creature onto her palm. She relaxed instantly, drawing the hand close to her chest and blinking blearily down at it. The little pink creature moved immediately, having felt the heat nearby. It was on her shoulder, half-submerged in the steamy water and resting its head against her neck.
Marinette sighed, obviously having been given what she was looking for.
Cat watched her in shock for what might have been an eternity.
Marinette had a Kwami.
She was like him.
She had a Kwami.
He looked at it as the revelation made its way though him slowly, his brain painfully slow at processing. The little thing - Tikki? - was a pale pinky colour, flushing into red as the heat took hold of her. She had a round black spot on her forehead and little wings that flapped lazily as she sighed into the heat, nuzzling against Marinette.
Could…
Could it be?
He watched, his heart thudding uncomfortably hard as he looked at her properly. She had her eyes closed, her expression relaxed as the colour regained its hold other cheeks. But he knew her eyes were blue. He saw them every single day. And her hair was the right colour, the right length.
It was even pulled back in the same two pigtails.
The little Kwami was blinking awake now, yawning a very small, squeaky and adorable yawn. Marinette stirred, reaching for her automatically as Cat sat there, floored by what he was seeing.
It could have been ten minutes, it might have been longer.
Eventually Marinette began to stir properly, her brow furrowing as she became aware of her surroundings. The Kwami opened her eyes properly, clear blue pools quite like Marinette's own. She looked over at him, and she smiled. And then she stretched, so much like Plagg that Cat Noir felt a sense of deja vu, and she curled against Marinette again, keeping her eyes on him as her charge woke up.
"Mm-what… C-Cat… uhhm…"
Her eyes blinked as she yawned, her fingers finding Tikki and stroking the little red head.
"Tikki."
Marinette's voice was sleepy and relaxed, and Cat realised he so rarely heard her like that. When she was with Adrien she was often squeaky and stuttering and when she was with Cat she was guarded and confident and a little playful. To hear her like this was…
Well, it was kind of nice.
"Hmm, it's so warmmm…"
She stretched, catching sight of herself and frowning in confusion as she began to sit up, turning her head in the direction of her Kwami.
"Tikki? Why am I-"
Her eyes flicked up to him and she froze. Neither dared to breathe.
In that second Marinette looked more afraid than he had ever seen her, more afraid than he had ever seen LadyBug.
More afraid even than in any of their battles.
And his brain was struggling to put Marinette and LadyBug into the same box.
And so he did the only thing that came to mind.
He turned and ran.
