Hey everyone! This is seven pages, so... Yeah. Or at least in Google Docs. BTW, I wrote the ending after watching Heathers The Musical for the first time, so it's pretty dark. I'm going to work on uplifting this stuff and making it less depressing next chapter. Anyways, ENJOI.
The school day seemed tedious and unending, as Chloe continued to pester Adrien about his choice to go out with Marinette.
"I mean, really Adrien?! She's a peasant! Her family owns a bakery, and she's nowhere near as hot as I am! Why are you going out with that untalented piece of trash?" Chloe ranted, hugging Adrien's arm and attempting to seductively bat her eyelashes every few words. The model only responded by shaking her off his arm, rolling his eyes, and walking away.
'I have too much to think about, anyway. Ladybug loves the mask, not me. Chat isn't worth it, I guess.' He thought to himself, walking straight into Marinette.
"Oh! Adrien! Ohmigod, I am so, SO sorry!" She apologised profusely. Adrien laughed dryly before answering.
"Mari, it's not your fault. You don't have to apologize for everything." She turned an even brighter shade of red.
He also took note of the red, puffy cuts on her wrists before walking off. By the end of the school day, Marinette was back to being hyper about her date with Adrien.
"Bye Alya! I've got to finish the dress!" She called to her best friend, running off. When she got home, she washed the bloody needle and began to use it for the final touch, a lace layer underneath. After a few hard hours of work on the dress, she put it on, a lovely red dress which hugged her waistline, but the bottom half, the skirt-like half, fell loosely along her body, the lace layer peeking out from underneath. There were also inch-thick shoulder straps connecting to a sweetheart neckline along the top of the dress. All of it was Ladybug red with black spots, except for the lace, which was solid black with an elegant edge.
The final touch was a matching red headband and red pigtail ribbons.
"What do you think, Tikki?" She asked inquisitively.
"Beautiful Mari! Adrien's going to love it!" Was the high pitched reply. Marinette slipped on her black ballet flats and headed down the stairs, careful not to fall and rip the dress. Sitting on the chair in her parents' bakery, she waited for Adrien. And waited. And waited. She was just about ready to give up hope, but then Adrien came running through the front door, disheveled and a mess.
"I'm…. Sorry…" He wheezed. "Father wanted me to go to an emergency photoshoot, and I got here as soon as I could slip away." Tom eyed the boy cautiously before taking his protective hand off of his daughter's shoulder. She walked over to him, blushing profusely as he placed his hand in hers. They walked out the door, both ecstatic.
Adrien opened the limo door and bowed down in a playful manner, getting a giggle from Marinette. "After you, Purrincess." He cooed, causing Marinette to freeze.
"What did you just call me?" She choked out, causing Adrien to realize his mistake.
"I- uh, know Chat calls Ladybug his Lady, and you look so much like her, but you're not so I called you purrincess, cause you're my… princess?" He rambled as Marinette's face softened. "Why? Someone important call you that?"
"Yes, actually," She replied, turning to face Adrien. "He's quite special to me, and so is that nickname so please don't use it." The bluenette climbed in the car and her boyfriend soon followed, shutting the door behind them.
Adrien's POV:
"So, this guy won't be competition for mwa, will he?" I asked cockily, grinning from ear to ear.
"Of course not, Puppy!" She answered, getting a peculiar look from me. "What?" She continued. "Ladybug has her kitty, and I have my puppy. But don't worry, Puppy. This guy's like my brother, a good friend who I trust with my life. But he isn't and won't be anything more. Promise." Her words rang in my head like a broken record.
'Good friend…' 'Brother…' 'Won't be anything more…' I shook my head, trying to get the nightmares out.
'When she finds out you're Chat, she will dump you….' 'She will not like either side of you after this…' 'She decides you're not good enough for her…' 'She realises you abuse your kwami and don't give him enough cheese…' Ugh. Plagg was in my head again. I wonder if her kwami is this bad.
I leaned back into the seat cushion a sigh escaping my lips, before I turned to look at Mari, deep in thought. I noticed the scars still prominent on her wrist as I reached for her hand, Marinette wincing as I brushed against her cuts.
"Mari, what is this?" I asked.
"Oh, nothing! Just a little sewing accident while making this dress!" She replied awkwardly. I studied her face for another moment as she squirmed before I continued.
"I know what these are, Mari." I looked into her eyes, the bluebell orbs staring back at me. It took all the strength I had not to pull her into a kiss. "Promise me that whoever is causing you this stress, you'll talk to and work this out with. I don't want you hurting yourself." She nodded as I pulled away.
"Adrien?" A timid voice pierced my thoughts. I turned to face Marinette, who had her hand on her chin in the iconic 'thinking' face. "How do you know what these are?"
I shuddered at the memories, mumbling audibly, "No. I can't tell you, I'm sorry, Mari." She gave me a look of concern and said no more until the car began to slow down.
We hopped out of the car as Marinette looked around, awestruck. We were car parked next to the Eiffel Tower, the sun shining brightly above us. She spotted the stairs up the tower and ran off, calling out, "C'mon, slowpoke!"
"Gori- Er, Driver?" Whew. Close one. I got a grunt in response. "I will call you when we need pickup. Until then, you're off duty." He grunted again, turning and getting into the car as I ran after my girlfriend. The further along the stairway I ran, the harder I started breathing.
'For Chat Noir, you're not athletic, are ya, kid?' Plagg's voice rang in my head. "Stuff… It… Plagg…" I mumbled inbetween puffs of air. As her lovely blue pigtails finally came into view, I slowed down, stopping alongside her.
"Geez Mari… You're fast…" I wheezed as she giggled.
"My puppy's not tired, is he?" She mocked playfully as I groaned. I'm really starting to hate that nickname. I mean, really. She's my purrincess, I'm her kitty. I wish I could tell her, but Chat Noir is nothing more than her brother. I have to remember my boundaries. Why does life have to be so unfair?
She looked down, noticing the thick blanket, telescope and picnic basket. Tightly latching her hand in mine, she plopped to the ground, pulling me down onto her as she giggled, rustling my hair.
We snacked, eating dinner as the sun went down. I laid on the blanket, stretching out as she rested next to me, her head resting on my arm, her hands on her chest.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I asked. "The quality of the stars away from all the bright city lights… It's amazing…"
"I love how all the other little stars surround the bright ones, but they can't see anything but a little light in the sky…" She added. "All they see is a shining light, but aren't close enough to see the true beauty of the star. None of them know what the other stars actually look like up close. Sure, we know they're hot and made of gas, but we have no idea what any of them are." They're just like us… All she sees is the bright shining model. She doesn't see what I really look like… Who I really am… She doesn't see Chat at all… She's not close enough… I'm not close enough…
"Hey, look! It's the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper!" I pointed out randomly. "It's like Ladybug and Chat! They're an iconic duo, but Ladybug's the big one, the better one. Chat's the smaller one. Everyone likes her better anyway."
"Now hold on a second!" Marinette jumped in, pulling herself up to a sitting position, off my arm. "Ladybug couldn't do anything without Chat! He's her other half! Yin and Yang! They are equals!"
"If they're Yin and Yang, wouldn't they be together? I mean, they do go together…" I asked as she gave a frustrated groan in response. I think I just annoyed a bear with pigtails. Crap.
"Well, maybe Ladybug likes someone in human form, but feels attracted to Chat too, but those affections are smaller! Maybe she doesn't know, because she's now with the boy of her dreams! Maybe they WON'T end up together! What'll happen?! The universe falls apart?" Her voice rose as she was speaking, becoming more and more agitated.
"You're cute when you're flustered, you know that?" I laughed as she playfully punched my arm. "You wound me, Pur- Mari!" Caught myself. Whew. "I need a kiss to make it all better!" She turned bright red, and I could see it, even though it was mostly dark. How had I never noticed the blushing before? It looks just like her mask, but without the spots. She seemed to make up her mind on the kiss, grabbing onto my collar as she pulled into me, pressing her lips into mine. I was so surprised by her actions, that I let out a small 'mph!' before continuing the kiss, pulling her onto me as we kissed under the moonlight, her beauty more radiant than ever.
"I-I'm sorry… That was overstepping my boundaries…" She stuttered, pulling away and standing up. I jumped up after her.
"It wasn't overstepping your boundaries if I liked it too. It was amazing." I gave her one of my award winning smiles before pulling her into another kiss, this time surprising her. When we pulled away, she was grinning ear to ear, mumbling something like 'Wow…'
We spent the rest of the night comparing constellations and laughing at each other, including my puns, which was a first. Eventually, we wound down, deciding it was time to go home.
*le lazy author time skip*
"That was amazing, Adrien." Marinette said as she got up. She had gotten better and better at talking to me as the night went on, making it much easier to have a conversation with her. Granted, she almost tripped and fell off the tower, but it was a start.
"I loved every second, mon cherie." I kneeled down, pecking her hand with a quick kiss. She giggled, grabbing my hand and leading me up. I frowned slightly. She didn't reject my hand as Adrien, but as Chat it's stupid and annoying? Oh well. We walked down the Eiffel Tower hand in hand, side by side. When we reached the bottom, I pulled out my phone and called the driver, but to no avail. He didn't answer, so I tried Nathalie. Nothing. The home phone. Nothing. Dad's office. Nothing. Dad's cell. Nothing. How am I supposed to get my purrincess home without a ride? Oh, wait a minute…
"Hey Mari, I can't get in touch with any of my 'family,'" I made sure to use the necessary air quotes around family as I spoke. "So I'm going to call a very special friend of mine to help. Be right back!" I darted around the side of the tower, pretending to call someone before whispering my transformation phrase, "Plagg, Claws Out!"
I quickly scaled the Eiffel Tower on one side and clambered down the visible side to make it appear as if I had been jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
"Hey Purrincess," I said as I landed behind her. "My friend, Adrien, told me you needed a ride. Cat Cab at your service!" I bowed playfully, kneeling down so she could climb onto my back. One knee. I felt my spine pop. She swung her leg over me as if I was a horse, making it difficult to get back up. Her warmth was comforting; I could feel it through my thick leather suit. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I stood up, choking me a little.
"Hold on tight, purrincess," I reminded her as she tightened her grip, resembling a mix between a hug and a piggyback ride. A smile formed on my face as I took off, leaping through the air as if determined to reach the top of the tower in one spring. She screamed in fear, apparently not as brave without the suit, her hands gripping my shoulders, her nails somehow clawing their way through my costume, leaving little puncture marks scattered around the leather. As I swung from rooftop to rooftop, her nails continued to lodge themselves even further into my shoulders. When I finally landed on her balcony, she ripped her hands from me and landed clumsily on the ground. Marinette examined herself quickly, noticing the small amounts of blood on her sharp fingers.
"Chat, I'm so sorry!" She apologized. I finally got a clear look at her nails as her hands flailed around her desperately, with their owner in a clear state of panic. They had been cut and filed into rough, jagged points, not unlike the blade of a butter knife. "Come on in, I need to clean up your shoulders."
"Mari, they're not that ba-" She cut me off, giving me a stern look.
"I know how sharp my nails are and I know how much it hurts. Now come on, silly kitty."
I followed her in, curious as to what was next. She led me into her bathroom, pulled out the first aid kit, and turned to face me, a bright red color illuminating her visage.
"I-I need you to take off your shirt…" She mumbled awkwardly, finally thinking it all through. I let out a dry laugh at her face before complying.
Marinette's POV:
"I-I need you to take off your shirt…" I mumbled awkwardly, finally thinking it all through. He gave a dry laugh before complying, reaching for his bell and pulling it down, revealing it to be a zipper, not just a decoration.
Chat Noir removed his shirt, which looked more and more like a weird biker's jacket, now that I think about it. I washed my hands and rinsed a fresh washcloth under warm water before turning around, taking in the full view of him. Perfectly tanned and muscular, his abs were well defined and prominent in his chest. His arms had a lovely definition, contrary to what I liked to tell him as Ladybug.
It must have shown, because he asked, "Like what you see, Mari?" And flexed his muscles. It took all I had to keep from staring. Instead, I dabbed gently at the cuts on his one shoulder, telling him,
"You're nothing compared to my boyfriend." He gave me another dry laugh before replying.
"Whatever you say, Purrincess, whatever you say." The cuts were quite deep and bleeding a lot, causing him to wince every time I touched one.
"Sorry kitty." I mumbled pitifully.
"Purrincess, if you don't mind me asking, why are your nails filed in such a way?" I glanced down at the telltale scars on my wrist, quickly averting my attention back to Chat's puncture marks to avoid his eyes following mine. It's bad enough that Adrien knows! Imagine how Chat would react.
"Let's just say that my boyfriend changed my mind from what I was thinking of doing with my nails." My vague reply must have made something click. I looked up to see him frown, his sad, woeful green eyes boring into mine in a desperate hope to offer comfort.
"I'm fine, Chat!" I grumped hastily, dabbing some alcohol on the marks. He jumped back, wincing in pain as I giggled.
"I can't let the savior of Paris get an infection, now can I?" He frowned playfully, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Well, you also wounded the savior of Paris, now haven't you? Besides, I like the sound of that. Chat 'Savior of Paris' Noir." I rolled my eyes, responding dryly.
"Don't get too big of a head or you'll need a new mask to hide behind! Besides, if any Englishman heard that, it would be pretty funny. 'Cat Savior of Paris Black'."
"I'm already 'Cat Black' to those English people, so why can't I make it sillier? Maybe I'm a distant cousin of Sirius Black! Wingardium Leviosa!"
I pretended to float, standing up on the stool on one foot, all the while shouting, "Ah! I'm flying! I'm flying!" Before slipping and landing on the floor, right onto Chat in the most awkward position possible. And to make things worse, he was shirtless and sexy. I knew I was blushing like hell as all sorts of images rushed through my head, many of which shouldn't have. He was clearly having the same problem, because his face was redder than my suit.
"Like it, Kitty?" I teased playfully in an effort to make things less awkward and tense. He didn't respond, his eyes were still glossed over, seemingly lost inside his mind. I was getting ready to stand up, but before I knew what was happening, someone had grabbed my shirt collar and pressed a pair of lips onto mine. I wasn't aware of what was going on as I melted into the kiss, his arms wrapping around me and hugging me to him even tighter. He trailed kisses down my neck and sucked on it, leaving a red mark where his lips were. As I watched him smile at it, satisfactory with his work, it finally woke me from my trance.
"AH! Ch-ch-chat… What… why?! Wha…?" I was confused and dazed, unaware of Chat getting up and putting his jacket-shirt-whatever back on. I noticed him exit the bathroom back into my room, and chased after him.
"Chat, where are you going?! We need to talk about this!" I called.
"No. We need to forget it ever happened!" He shouted sternly, his voice cracking.
"But… the hickey…" I replied, nervous about what Adrien would think. He sighed.
"Not my problem, Marinette." His voice was cold and harsh, not the fun loving partner I knew.
"Not your problem?! I can't believe you!" I screeched at him.
Chat's POV:
"Believe it, sweetheart." I replied evilly. What am I doing?! What is it about this room that makes me act like this?! I can't control myself. "I gave you a ride home, you hurt me, now consider this your payment."
NO! What am I saying?! I took a step towards her, my green eyes glinting maliciously. She stepped back, fear written all over her face. I took a clawed finger and traced it along her cheekbone, down her neck and around the mark my lips had given her, down her collarbone, and to a spot on her shoulder where my finger rested.
"Chat…" Her voice rose protectively. I stared into her eyes, unblinking.
"You're my purrincess. This mark proves it." I hissed, turning away. I walked by her, carving 'Chat Noir' in large letters through the Adrien posters.
"You monster..." She seethed.
"I'm your monster. Don't you forget." I smirked, walking over to her balcony. "Goodbye, Mon Che-"
My miraculous beeped, snapping me out of my weird trance. I looked back into Marinette's room, seeing her kneeling on the floor, clutching herself, a red mark on her neck and my name ripped on posters. Oh god, what in the name of HELL did I just do?!
"Oh. My. God. Mari, I'm SO sorry!" I cried desperately, jumping back into her room. I reached for her hand to help her up, but she jerked away, shutting her eyes tightly before glaring back at me.
"Stay… Away…" She fumed, breathing heavily as she backed into her closet, trying to shut the doors before her. I placed my hand in it, blocking them as they closed painfully on my hand.
"Please, listen to me. I don't understand my weird behavior, but I don't want to hurt you. Please, Mari… Have mercy… I didn't mean to…" She stared, her eyes piercing mine.
"But you did." The bluenette growled to herself, before raising a fist and striking me. Then black.