Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright, Chapter 4: When Thy Heart Begins To Beat
Marinette hurried downstairs in response to her mother's dinner summons; tonight was a beef stew that'd been simmering on the stove for a while, and smelled delicious. She greeted both parents warmly as she settled in at her seat at the table.
"How are you feeling, dear?" her mother asked. "You seemed a little... preoccupied when you first got home today."
"Preoccupied?" Tom asked.
"Well, maybe that's not the word for it... but definitely distracted. In a good way. How did school go?" added Sabine.
"Not bad at all, really! Everyone had lots of questions, but there wasn't all that much to tell," Marinette replied. "That villain zapped me, Chat Noir protected me, I feel a lot better. No real aftereffects."
"I still say I should've taken you to the doctor's, just to get you looked over," her mother fussed. "You're SURE you don't want to get checked out?"
"No, I don't think I need it, though I understand your worry," she said. "Believe me, if I was still feeling it, I'd be the first to say 'let's go,' but I feel perfectly clear now."
"How about the other thing after school? That'd be enough to get anyone feeling lightheaded," smiled Sabine.
Tom saw Marinette blush and noted, "Now, this I didn't hear about..."
Sabine held her hand up, pretending to shield her face from Marinette, and said in a deliberately-too-loud whisper, "SOMEONE kissed her little blonde friend!"
A crimson Marinette put her fork down and covered her face with her hands. "It was just a LITTLE PECK ON THE CHEEK, Mom! It barely counted."
"Well, all right!" her father smiled. "It's about time. What brought that on?"
"Oh... he walked me home and wanted to make sure I was all right, he was being SO sweet with me, I went to say goodbye and I just couldn't resist," glowed Marinette. "I didn't stop to think, I just did it."
"Judging from his face, he didn't expect it, but his smile told me how much he really liked it," grinned Sabine.
"Of course he would!" declared Tom, gesturing at his daughter. "Who would turn down a kiss from a beautiful girl like this? Have you talked to him since, Marinette?"
"Not yet. I went up for a nap afterwards," she replied. "Maybe I'll text him tonight. I don't want to be clingy. Also, I'm kind of expecting my other blonde friend to drop by tonight..."
"Your chaton?" Tom asked. "Thank you for the warning! I'll head up to the balcony after dinner and wait for him. Should I use the broom or the bread paddle to chase him off?"
Marinette rolled her eyes. "Dad, you know Chat Noir is perfectly harmless."
"No teenage boy is perfectly harmless," he replied, but with a knowing grin.
After dessert, Marinette headed back upstairs to finish up some homework before her expected guess appeared. Feliss floated nearby, eager to stir the pot.
"So your cat is visiting you tonight?" she inquired, pitching her voice innocently.
"He said he would," replied Marinette. "We have some talking to do about the villain fight today, plus he does that fairly often just to hang out and spend time. He's a sweetheart."
"Tell me again why Ladybug never took him as her own?" asked Feliss.
"Because of a lot of reasons?" Marinette replied. "He's a great partner - the best I could ever ask for. But he hits on Ladybug like a hungry dog chasing a squirrel, or at least he used to. We've talked it out since, I know he's... a lot more sincere than I thought he was, but I still think we're much better as partners than trying to make dating work. We're supposed to keep our real identities secret, and I take that seriously, and dating could complicate that so much. Along with the fact that he's not Adrien."
Marinette gave Feliss a dirty look, hearing her snicker at that last part. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing, child. So if Ladybug can't, tell me again why MARINETTE never took Chat as her own?"
"Tell me again why we're even talking about this?" asked Marinette, a little bit exasperated. "I know I don't see Chat Noir that way. I know he doesn't see ME that way; he's crazy about Ladybug, I'm crazy about Adrien."
"And yet you kissed him today," Feliss noted, with a subtle smile.
"I... that was an innocent thank you! And you know that, Feliss," Marinette protested.
"How many other times have you thanked him like that, innocently?" the Kwami purred.
"None? But... okay, I'm still getting used to having you on board instead of Tikki," she admitted. "Your transformation just feels... different. Not bad different, just different! It's like, when I'm Tigresse, I have emotional rushes and all this energy and I just feel all charged up inside! I'm still assuming that I'm not being influenced directly by you..."
"And I'm still sticking by that," stated Feliss. "You know how hard you have to concentrate to hear my voice when you're transformed. Playing games with someone who's hosting me is a great way to get them distracted or killed."
"I'll believe that, then. I like that answer," smiled Marinette. "But even without that, I just feel... well, kittenish inside! Like, when I mentioned whiskers and Chat gave me that look, I couldn't help but bait him in, then kiss him just because I knew the look on his face would be priceless, and I wanted to play with that. That's... not LIKE the normal me! As Ladybug, I just want to get the job done right and safely and then get home."
"Chat Noir adores you. You do know that, right?" Feliss asked, gently.
"Oh, I know how much he really thinks of Ladybug," she said. "Like I told you, he's not a sidekick, he's my partner."
"I didn't say 'he adores Ladybug,'" chided Feliss, leaving that hanging in the air.
"Then... what are you saying?" asked Marinette, with a curious expression on her face.
A telltale *TH-BMMP!" from above announced Chat Noir's arrival.
"Why don't you go ask him yourself?" the Kwami grinned. "I think you two have lots to talk about."
"Are you coming up with me?" Marinette asked. "He may have some of the same questions that Master Fu did."
"If you need me, child, open the hatch and call. Otherwise, I think I'll let you two have some private time," she purred. "Or I'll just wander the neighborhood if I get hungry."
That triggered another thought in Marinette. "You know what? I've never used the Tiger's Roar, so I didn't think to ask, but... Tikki likes sweets most of all. What do you like to eat to recharge?"
"Oh, the macarons you've had handy so far are fine as snacks. I do prefer to catch my own dinner, though. Some of the birds around here are quite tasty!" Feliss smiled, licking her lips.
"On that note..." Marinette muttered, shaking her head as she went up the ladder to the balcony.
Marinette went upstairs and found Chat stretched out in a lounge chair, waiting for her. "Good evening, Princess," he grinned at her.
"Hello, handsome," she smiled back. "What's new and exciting?"
"Oh, a little bit of of our usual hanging out together, plus I wanted to talk about that Psiphon fight with you. You said you figured out something about her powers?" he asked.
"Yes, I did!" Marinette declared, proudly. "She has at least two kinds of psychic projections; one is energy, and that's what she hit me with the other morning. The others are solid telekinetic force, like she's throwing mental concrete around. I don't know if your baton can smash through either of them... but Tigresse's claws can, and when I did that Psiphon yelped like she was in pain from the feedback."
"Interesting... I'll have to try a full-force swing at one and see if I can make a dent," Chat admired. "That'll be important to know for fighting her. What else jumped out at you?"
"She can do multiple shapes at once. Like, at one point she had a defensive wall and sent a column flying out of it like a lance at me. I don't know if she can make them sharp, or just blunt force, but either way I'd rather not get hit and find out."
"Also good to know. She seems to like artists and creative types, so maybe she'll figure out how to use those in more creative ways. I hope not... let's try and defeat her before she does," he pondered.
"Speaking of that! Master Fu told me about the container he gave you, the one that can capture an Akuma or an object it's possessing. I think I have a... what?" Marinette trailed off.
"MASTER Fu? You... know about who - about what he really is?" Chat said, with visible surprise.
"I, um..." Oops! "I do now! I went back to see him so he could check on how I was recovering, I had Feliss with me, and he sensed her the moment I walked in and introduced himself properly. No wonder he knew how to heal me from Psiphon's attack so well!" Marinette shrugged, hoping Chat was buying it. "Small world, right?"
Chat just shook his head. "He didn't tell me about himself for, like, months... but okay, whatever," he smiled. "Somehow I can see how he'd trust you completely."
She smiled at that, a little shyly. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Kitty. What's the container all about?"
"It's glass, it's got Chinese writing and symbols all over it, nothing I can read. He told me that if we can get either the Akuma or the object inside it, it'll hold it for maybe an hour... so we have that long to get it back to Master Fu and hope he can do something with it." Chat looked fairly serious, for once. "But we only have the one, and it's glass, so we have to be careful with it. When I came to you this morning, I didn't have time to go back to my house and get it."
"Feliss did whip up something that works as a communicator for me," Marinette replied. "So if I'm out somewhere and find Psiphon, I should be able to call you and give you warning for that."
"Good," Chat smiled, "that'll be a huge help." He thought for a moment and his smile faded slightly. "Is Feliss... here right now?"
"She said she was waiting downstairs unless I needed her. Do I?" she answered.
"Not yet... but I wanted to talk to you about her, privately. Can we do that now?" he asked.
"Sure."
Chat hesitated, trying to ask what he wanted to ask tactfully. "When you are Tigresse... I've seen you give full control to Feliss once. I saw it in your eyes then, and I talked to her directly. Do you feel like she's influencing you the rest of the time, or that she's ever just... taken over?"
Marinette looked down. "She and I have had a couple of talks about that. She DID take full control during the fight this afternoon, but she swears she's deep in the background the rest of the time, and that what Tigresse does then is all me." She took a deep breath. "Did I do something... or did she make me do something awful?"
"Nothing terrible, but I could tell the moment I got there that you weren't... you," Chat explained. "It was your body, but something fierce and angry and ruthless was in control of it. Plagg told me, 'don't ever get Feliss mad,' and I can see why! And I can see why Psiphon ran like a bunny."
"It's a worry for me," Marinette admitted. "Those claws are ridiculously sharp. Magically sharp, even. I could barely sense her saying 'I'm gonna cut your head off,' and it terrifies me that I'm going to wake up in Tigresse's costume and find someone dead or maimed in front of me."
"You say you talked to her about it? What did she say?" her partner asked, anxiously.
"She seems to understand why I'm upset, both about that and that she took control without asking. She says we'll talk about setting boundaries later, and I want to believe her... she DOES seem to have my best interests at heart in other things we've talked about. She's good deep down; I can tell. But she's very strong-willed - I mean, she's a tiger! - and she'd rather ask forgiveness than permission most of the time. I'm afraid that it might be a mental wrestling match sometimes."
"Master Fu did tell me that the Miraculouses of this kind could be more assertive, and that it would take a strong will to keep them under control. That's one reason I came to you with this one, Marinette... you might be the strongest person I know."
Chat's eyes were sincere, and made Marinette melt inside. "If I was so strong, I could actually tell my crush how I feel instead of babbling at him," she sighed.
"We all have our weak points. I'm pretty hopeless with girls myself, as I know you've noticed repeatedly," he chuckled. "But I know you well enough to know what you're like around everyone other than your Mystery Guy... and that girl is amazing."
Marinette looked at him, wide-eyed, then cast her eyes downwards, shyly. "Is there anything.. else I've done lately that made you wonder if I'm under control?" she asked him.
"Well..." To her amazement, Chat also looked away shyly and even blushed a little. "You did kiss me today. That was new."
Marinette opened her mouth but was silent, trying to figure out how to respond... and a strange impulse seized her, a confident and playful spirit. Wow, he's off-balance! she thought. I bet I can have fun with this...
She smiled and asked Chat, brightly, "...You didn't like it?"
"No! I, uh... of course, I liked it!" Now he was REALLY blushing, which Marinette found intriguing; it was so out of the norm for him. "It just really surprised me, you know? And I wanted to make sure that I understood where it was coming from."
"From Tigresse's lips, silly kitty," she giggled. "What else could I kiss you with?"
"Marinette!" he managed. "I'm serious. I don't want to make a big deal about it if it isn't one, but I'm... curious. I've just never known you to be the kissing type, even just friendly kisses."
"Maybe you were just being that sweet to me. Maybe I figured I needed to start practicing kissing sometime, and you were there. Maybe I finally fell hard for your roguish feline charms, and just couldn't resist any longer," Marinette fluttered, still giggling.
"Now, that last one, even I'M not buying," Chat parried. "But when I've seen Feliss controlling Tigresse... I just wanted to make sure that that was Marinette kissing my nose, no matter why she did it, not Feliss. Know what I'm saying?"
"Well, I'm not Tigresse right now. Why don't you come over here and find out?" she grinned, dangerously.
Her grin wavered a tiny bit when Chat walked over and knelt down next to her. Holy crap, he did! she thought.
"Do you still want to kiss me now, Marinette?" he asked, his casual smile giving nothing away.
Do I?
It seemed like it should be the easiest question in the world for her to answer. It really should be, right?
"I- I-" she stuttered, then recovered enough to turn the question around on him. "That all depends, Chat Noir. Would you want me to kiss you? Right here, right now?"
Now she could see his confident front waver a bit. "I wouldn't... want you to do anything you felt pressured into, or weren't confident about, Marinette," he said, quietly. "If I gave you the impression that I-"
He froze in place... as Marinette leaned forward suddenly, planting a soft kiss on the end of his nose, then leaning back with a nervous smile.
"Feliss is teaching me one important thing, Chat Noir," she said, trying not to crack up at the look on his face. "That sometimes I have to get over myself, stop being afraid of how other people are going to react, and just stop thinking and do little things to show them how I feel."
"Someday... I think I'm going to learn how to open up like that, myself," Chat breathed, just above a whisper.
"You're wonderful, Chat," she beamed. "You're caring, you're protective, you're sensitive, and you're a great friend and a great partner, and you're a complete goober. All of which are reasons why I'm always glad that you're around."
Marinette looked him in the eye and continued, "And I know that you CAN take chances like that, because you did it with Ladybug! And maybe she didn't respond quite the way you'd hoped... but someday, the right girl will."
"And if I'm really lucky, she'll be just like you, Marinette," he smiled back.
"Now, I think I need to go lie down for a while and explain to myself how I just got the nerve to DO that..." panted Marinette, which made them both laugh aloud.
"And I should probably get home before my dad notices that I'm gone again," Chat exhaled. "You're... obviously more relaxed than I thought you'd about the whole Feliss situation, and that's good. If you need to talk about anything, I'm available any time, okay?"
"I know, Chat, and thank you... and that goes both ways."
She hugged him to say goodnight, and let go... and was surprised when Chat didn't. He gave her a steady look for several seconds, leaned in very slowly... he watched her eyes grow huge... and then he leaned upwards and kissed her on the forehead, very gently.
"I'm not going to be the only one going to bed tonight with weak knees," Chat grinned... then hopped away across the rooftops, heading for home.
Marinette headed back down into her room, a little unsteady.
"I told you," laughed Feliss.
"Told me what?" asked Marinette, warily.
"That Chat Noir adores you, Marinette. That you could make him yours completely with one embrace, one passionate kiss, if you meant it." the Kwami answered. "If you dared."
"You've been in my head, Feliss. And you really think that Chat's who and what I want?" parried Marinette. "You don't know me as well as you think you do."
I know _precisely_ that Chat is who you want, Marinette. YOU don't know that Chat is who you want - on multiple levels. He keeps secrets from you and you keep secrets from you, and the dance continues on...
Feliss let that thought float in her mind, laughing hard inside, but said nothing else out loud.
The next morning, Marinette walked to school with more than a few butterflies in her stomach, not sure quite what to expect. She had about a hundred different potential reactions from Adrien in her mind, and at least four of them were plausible. The suspense is killing me! she thought.
As she reached the front steps, Alya all but pounced on her, extremely excited. "MARINETTE!" she panted. "Did you see my story on the new hero in town?"
"Actually, not yet," Marinette replied. "Who is he?"
"My goodness!" Alya intoned, overdramatically, "Why do I spend all my time and effort updating the LadyBlog if my friends aren't going to devote their whole existence to reading it? It's not a he, it's a she, and she's nothing like we've ever seen before! Look at this footage!"
Marinette looked at Alya's outstretched cell phone and saw a bystander's video of her confrontation with Psiphon. "Ooooh, a tiger girl! I like her outfit! She's cute," Marinette grinned.
"Yeah, right NOW she's cute as the dickens... but keep watching," Alya said. "What do you see?"
"What do you... ow! I bet that hurt," noted Marinette, watching herself fly through the air from Psiphon's force push. "Her eyes just flashed bright gold, and..."
Marinette's hands went over her mouth as she saw her own transformation as Feliss took over - the change in posture, in attitude, in aggressiveness. "WHOA!" she gasped, watching as the newly-aggressive Tigresse clawed projections out of the air effortlessly and offered to give Psiphon the shortest haircut she'd ever had. "It's like someone flipped a light switch from 'adorable' to 'deadly.'"
"And Psiphon flipped a switch from 'villain' to 'freaking RUUUUUUN!' just as fast," admired Alya. "And she's not done yet..."
They watched Chat Noir's sudden arrival, and this time Marinette gasped out loud as she saw the claws turn with her in Chat's direction. DID I THREATEN _HIM_? He didn't TELL me that!
"Did she just..." began Marinette.
"Oh, they made up quickly," Alya grinned... as they watched Tigresse get Chat Noir in close and kiss him on the nose. "Someone's making new friends," she quipped. "Poor Ladybug!"
"...Poor?" Marinette asked. "I thought he was the one chasing her, not the other way around! Maybe she'll be happy if he finds someone new to chase after. Besides, that was just a cute little kiss... What'd she call herself there? Tigresse?"
"La Tigresse, it sounded like, yeah," confirmed Alya. "What do you think? More heroes are always a good thing, but she might be as dangerous as the villains..."
"Give her a chance, Alya," chided Marinette. "She's new at this. I'm sure she'll find the right balance before long. I'm guessing she's one of those temporary helping-out heroes... like Rena Rouge? SHE seemed to pick it up pretty fast, wouldn't you say?"
"That, uh, wouldn't surprise me," Alya evaded. "And yeah, she did... Shall we head inside, Marinette?"
"Yeah, let's," she grinned, knowingly.
Inside, the classmates engaged in their usual pre-class chatter. Marinette kept at least one eye at a time on the door, for obvious reasons.
Alya, of course, noticed her focus. "So, did you two have a nice talk yesterday, after we left?" she asked Marinette, hopefully.
"I would say so," smiled Marinette. "We talked for a little while about the Psiphon thing, he walked me home, he got some things from the bakery..."
"Cool!" cooed Alya. "I was hoping that -"
Marinette leaned up close to Alya's ear, with a whisper. "And I kissed him on the cheek."
"WHAAAAAT?" Alya exclaimed loudly, loud enough that even Ms. Bustier turned to see her startled expression. She waved everyone off, muttering "Nothing, nothing," sheepishly, then cornered Marinette in a low voice. "And you didn't think that was worth mentioning before now?"
Right about then, Nino and Adrien came in, just before class was to start. Be confident, Marinette told herself. Trust your instincts. Don't make it weird. He probably won't even say or do anything differently than...
Marinette's insides percolated as she watched Adrien carefully. His eyes were on her from the moment he entered the room, and instead of sitting in his seat immediately, he leaned across to talk with her. "Hi, Marinette!" he smiled, warmly.
She managed a smile and a tiny wave in his direction. "H-hi!" she replied. "What's up?"
"I, uh, wanted to thank you for helping me pick out those pastries yesterday... they were a huge hit! My father said he hasn't had opera cake that tasty in years," he beamed. "And my bodyguard went through the cream puffs in nothing flat. I've never seen him eat like that."
"Great!" Marinette answered. "I'll tell my parents that; they'll love the compliment."
"I was wondering... are those an everyday thing, or does your father make those special? The cream puffs, I mean," Adrien asked.
"Not every day... when the mood hits him, I guess you could say. Why do you ask?" she said.
"I was thinking that if he had some today... I could walk home with you again and pick up some more to take home with me, if that'd be okay with you?"
Marinette's jaw wobbled. Adrien Agreste, you can walk home with me again and take me home with you, if that'd be okay with you. "Ah, um, of course! I'd like that, Adrien," she managed. "I'll text him between classes and make sure he makes a batch today."
"Awesome! I'll wait for you after school, then?" Adrien's smile tried to melt grooves through the top of Marinette's desk, and nearly succeeded.
"I'll be there," she smiled. The two returned their focus to the front of the room, as Ms. Bustier was just getting her lesson started.
Sitting next to Alya had its advantages for Marinette - the two could exchange thoughts on their notepads without physically passing notes and getting caught.
DID I JUST SEE...
I THINK YOU DID!
ADRIEN IS FINDING REASONS TO WALK YOU HOME NOW?
HEY, THEY'RE GREAT CREAM PUFFS
AND YOU KISSED HIM?
I DID
ONE LITTLE THANK YOU PECK ON THE CHEEK
WHAT DID HE DO?!
LOOKED VERY VERY SURPRISED
BUT HAPPY
WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER?
WENT INSIDE
LOOKED VERY VERY VERY SURPRISED
BUT HAPPY
TALK MORE LATER?
SURE THING
The pair shared a knowing smile and looked back up at Ms. Bustier, lest they be noticed and asked to perform a dramatic recital for the class's benefit.
Across town, another person was also in the mood to compare notes.
Psiphon huddled in her bedroom, her door locked, a dresser up against the door, under her covers. "HAWKMOTH!" she hissed, for the umpteenth time.
Finally, blessedly, she felt his energy signature on her face. "Psiphon!" he called out. "I... apologize for being out of contact; I had some business to attend to. How is your pursuit of the Miraculouses going... and where are you? Everything's all... grey and white."
"I am under my comforter in my bed, thank you very much, getting ready to telekinetically impale the first thing that moves anywhere near me. Where do you THINK I AM? I am HIDING so my head doesn't get lopped off, and hoping she can't smell me from here!" Psiphon shouted at him. "And I don't know that I'm going to sleep tonight!"
Hawkmoth rolled his eyes. "Artists," he mumbled to himself. Out loud, he said, "Calm yourself. I'm pretty sure she was bluffing about decapitation; she's a hero. Heroes don't do that kind of thing."
"The hero that first showed up wouldn't. The one she turned into after I hit her... she'd sell my parts on eBay."
"Okay, you do have a point there," Hawkmoth mused. "That was a Jekyll-and-Hyde of the highest order! I've never seen anything quite like that before. But, still, you're going to let one little schoolgirl frighten you away?"
"I've been trying to come up with ideas on how to keep her at a distance... but I'm not getting very far with what I've drawn up. Since she can cut through whatever I create AND it hurts me when she does that..."
"Fine. Show me what you have so far. I'll try to help."
Skittishly, Psiphon emerged from her pillow fort and pushed her dresser out of the way, opening the door and going to her studio room where her sketchpad and canvases were.
"Okay, Plan A... Some of these are better than others," she began, hesitantly.
"Just show me," assured the archvillain.
"Plan A, I call the One-Way Ticket to Pluto. I distract her with something, make kind of a bowl shape underneath her... and just push it with a force column as high as I can go with it," said Psiphon. "I don't know how high I can send her, but I'm hoping she'll show up on air traffic controllers' radar."
"And when she's halfway to the ionosphere and says 'Hey, I need to get down from here' and slices straight down through it?" asked Hawkmoth.
"I'm kind of hoping she'll be too afraid of heights to do that. But I don't know... so I'll move on to the next one," Psiphon admitted. "Plan B is the Stake-Out... I can't really fine-tune my force projections too well, but if I can make an arch shape at the end of it... I'm hoping I can catch each of her wrists and pin them to something. She can't hit it with her claws if she can't bend her wrists that far."
"Better! It'll take good aim or some finesse to get both at once, but it's theoretically sound. Does... she have foot claws as well?"
Psiphon turned a little bit green. "I... certainly hope not."
"Well, put that in the Maybe pile. What's next?" he asked.
She flipped the canvas to the next sheet, and Hawkmoth saw a giant psychic Trojan horse, filled with hidden psychic swordsmen. "Pretend you didn't see that," Psiphon blushed, moving on.
Hawkmoth watched in increasing dismay as the ideas continued and became more outlandish and impractical. "She'd recognize that one instantly... No, we don't have that kind of budget... Where would you ever find a parakeet that large?... I did that one once, and it didn't work when I tried it... I like that one, but it's no given that we could get selected to represent France in Eurovision... Badgers just don't work like that... oh, come on, now. This is pointless!"
"I am, as they say, open to ideas before I get stabbed to death," complained Psiphon.
"I'm thinking. I believe you may be on the right track in that we don't need to destroy Tigresse, rather merely find a way to contain her, or force her to surrender her Miraculous," Hawkmoth pondered. "And I may not even need that Miraculous at all, since Chat Noir's and Ladybug's are the important ones for my purposes... but no Miraculous, no deadly claws. We just need to figure out where hers is; be on the lookout for some unusual jewelry."
"If I get close enough, sure. Which I have no intention of doing," whimpered the nervous villain, "until we have a game plan."
"FINE," sighed Hawkmoth. "I will think something up. For now, and I can't believe I'm saying this out loud... return to your pillow fort and wait for instructions."
Through force of will alone, Marinette made herself concentrate on her schoolwork through the rest of her classes. In her last class, she asked to be excused briefly, and headed to the bathroom for a quick head-to-head with her Kwami.
"Okay, Feliss... your romantic advice for ADRIEN has been on the money so far. He's walking me home again... what would you recommend?" asked Marinette, anxiously.
"You're not ready for what I'd recommend, child," Feliss said with an evil grin. "But, for now... take today slowly. Let's see what he does. Remain close, but let him make the first move."
At Marinette's questioning expression, Feliss continued, "He's already initiated things by asking to walk with you. I sensed that it was a welcome surprise for you, so it's not something he does often?"
"It isn't," she admitted. "I live close to the school, so it's not going far out of his way to do it... but usually he goes to his car and I just walk home."
"So, your peck yesterday did catch his attention, as well it should've! That should be a boost for your ego - you made a slightly romantic overture to your boy, and now he wants to follow you home. What do you think he'll want to do when he gets you there?"
"If I knew that," Marinette said, "I wouldn't be in a bathroom stall right now, talking into my purse."
"Heh. Your innocence is so refreshing, Marinette! I haven't met anyone quite like you in ages. Let me put it another way for you... you baited your trap, and now the mouse is definitely interested in it. We will not scare him away just yet. Let him come in closer, and we will see if he's taken the bait or is still sniffing at it. A tiger knows how to stalk... and to wait... until precisely the right moment arrives, and then you pounce."
"You make love sound so violent," Marinette ventured, carefully. "Like a jungle battle, eat-or-be-eaten."
"That's why it's so much fun," laughed Feliss. "Because as a beautiful young woman, YOU are at the top of the food chain. You just need to learn what hunting tools and skills you already possess."
"If... you say so," grinned Marinette, half-heartedly. "But it does make sense to me to follow his lead today. Do I even want to know what the next lesson will be?"
"That depends on one very important thing," offered Feliss. "Whether or not HE pounces."
As the last bell rang, Marinette and Alya walked together to the front door, Marinette grinning from ear to ear and vainly trying to suppress it. At least I'm keeping myself from sprinting over there, she thought. Alya watched her closely, trying to believe her own eyes with regard to what was about to happen.
They saw Adrien leaning against the doorframe, and the tingling within Marinette redoubled. "Easy, girl," Alya smiled. "He won't bite."
Ten more steps... five more steps... two more steps... she opened her mouth to greet him...
"Adriekinssssss!" echoed through the front courtyard, and Marinette strongly considered transforming on the spot so as to chase Chloé halfway to Verdun.
Adrien motioned a quick Shhh! to Marinette and Alya, with a wink, then turned and said, "Hi, Chloé. What's up?"
"I couldn't help but notice that your car's not here today, Adrien!" Chloé said, pleased with her deductive prowess. "Is he late?"
"Kind of," said Adrien. "He won't be meeting me until later."
"Wonderful! I mean, like, not really wonderful for you... but I'll be MORE than happy to give you a ride home with me, Adriekins! What else are besties for?" she simpered.
"That's a generous offer, Chloé... but I kind of already have a walking date planned," he smiled back.
The word "date" echoed even louder through the front courtyard, as it was one that had never before been detected coming from Adrien's lips, and many a curious head turned to observe. Even Marinette caught herself wondering He has a DATE? Who's it with?
In his head, Adrien counted to three, then turned towards the young ladies just inside the door. "Ah, there you are, Marinette! Are you ready?" He reached his hand out towards her, and Marinette stood still and confused for a moment before she realized he intended for her to take it and hold it.
Fireworks went off in Marinette's brain. Big ones. The kind that light up the whole night sky when they explode.
Finally, she reached out and took his hand as if that was no big deal. "Sure, Adrien!" she smiled, making sure that Chloé saw it. "How could I resist your invitation?"
The two strolled down the front steps of the school, conscious that all around them heads were turning and jaws were dropping. She was sure she heard a few silent cheers from her girlfriends, and Alya looked like she was about to burst.
"HUMPH!" Chloé muttered, loudly enough to make sure she was heard by everyone. "Every dog has its day, I suppose."
Nope, you're not ruining this, thought Marinette. She paused briefly, turned, grinned back at Chloé and said one word before they continued on:
"Woof."
The pair walked far enough down the block to be out of hearing range before Marinette asked, "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that all about?"
"I didn't intend to make a public spectacle out of today... but I know you well enough to know that when Chloé tried to steal your spotlight by jumping on me, you'd enjoy rubbing her nose in it a little," Adrien grinned.
"That... probably doesn't speak well for my character, Adrien... but, yeah, you know me well," she giggled. "Call it a guilty pleasure on the rare chances I get for that."
"You don't have to keep holding my hand, by the way," Adrien added, looking down. "If you're not comfortable with it, or if you don't want to."
"And if I am comfortable?" Marinette smiled, trying to hold her core temperature down below a rolling boil.
"Then I don't mind, either," he said, with a smile of his own, and they continued their walk and small talk.
Sabine spotted their hand-holding the instant they approached the bakery, of course. She kept her best poker face on as they passed through the front door, but gave Marinette a giant smile and a thumbs-up once he turned away to look at one of the display cases. Marinette grinned back and mouthed I KNOW, RIGHT? silently.
"There's my best customer!" Tom bellowed, entering from the back room with a large white box in his hands. "Your special order, young sir," he said, handing it to him for his inspection. He looked at Marinette and subtly nudged his head towards a smaller white box, sitting on a counter on the other side of the store.
Marinette looked curiously at her father as Adrien headed to the register. "What is it?" she whispered.
"If you think he'd like it," he whispered back.
She tiptoed over and peeked in the box. Inside was a delicately layered mille-feuille, covered in swirls of white and brown icing... with a tiny red candy heart in one corner.
"DAD! You must've spent half the morning on that!" she gasped, quietly.
"Too much?" Tom whispered. "You can pluck the heart off of it, if that's too much."
"On another day... maybe. Today, that's perfect! Thank you, Dad!" she smiled at him, leaning up and hugging him quickly.
She ran back over to the register with a big grin, small box in one hand, watching Sabine once again work a Boy My Daughter's In Love With Discount into her cash register calculations. This time Adrien had the presence of mind to do mental math and realize that, but he didn't complain.
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Cheng, Mr. Dupain! They are going to love these, I'm sure," Adrien declared as he gathered his belongings and prepared to head out.
"Any time!" Sabine grinned, watching her daughter leave with him, obviously on pins and needles. "Do come again!"
This time the bodyguard had pulled the car up to the curb just outside the bakery, sparing Adrien the walk back. He saw the large white box in Adrien's hands and his face beamed obvious approval.
Adrien turned back to Marinette, shifting the box over to one arm while being careful not to drop it. "Want to do this again tomorrow? I mean, maybe not the cream puffs part every day - I want my bodyguard to be able to still fit in the car," he laughed.
"Probably a good idea... and yes, I'll always appreciate some company," Marinette answered. "And I have a little something else for you, for walking me home today..."
Adrien reacted with mild surprise, as he accepted the proffered box. "Oh - you didn't have to do that!" he replied. "It was my pleasure."
"Still," she smiled, "I can't have your bodyguard being the only one enjoying something sweet today."
"That was never in doubt," Adrien quipped, leaving his implication hanging there. "And I have something I wanted to give to you, too."
It was Marinette's turn for a surprised expression. "R-really? You didn't have to... I mean..."
"It's nothing major... Actually, it's something of yours that I took home with me yesterday. I wanted to make sure I gave it back to you," grinned Adrien.
Marinette took a quick mental inventory of the day before. What could it be? I know nothing of mine was in his pastry box - I had all my books and things when I went in - what could...
Oh!
Adrien leaned forward slowly, then placed a soft and gentle kiss on Marinette's left cheek.
As he leaned back, he couldn't help but notice her reaction. "Shall we... are you okay, Marinette?"
Marinette's eyes were glazed, as if all of the hidden secrets of the universe had unlocked in her mind at once in one quick burst. "Uh-huh!" she managed, returning to Earth slightly with a sincere smile. "I've never been better."
"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Marinette," Adrien replied, climbing into the back seat of his car quite happily. They each managed a little wave before the bodyguard pulled the car out and headed for home.
From her purse, a tiny voice asked Marinette, "So my advice was good enough to keep me out of the jewelry box?"
"Oh, yeah," grinned Marinette. "Ohhhh, yeah, it was."
She padded slowly back into the bakery, where her mother was watching with obvious delight. "Did I just see what I think I just saw?" she asked Marinette, grinning from ear to ear.
"Thank you so much, Mom and Dad," she bubbled, heading for the stairs up to the house and her room. "I'm, uh, gonna need a moment."
"By all means," her mother laughed. She heard an excited, giggly shriek from upstairs, and said to Tom, "Maybe a little more than a moment."
Next time:
* Sometimes the simplest plans are the ones that are the most effective.
* The Girl Talk Telegraph is the fastest messaging system known.
* "Have you considered trying that... at the same time?"
* It's amazing how so few words can have such great impact.
* Isn't it about this point where things usually find a way to go sideways? ...Uh-huh.