Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and I am not affiliated with them in any way.

Prelude

Chapter 4

After school, Adrien had a photoshoot at the park, but when he got in the car after that, the Gorilla gave a very-pointed glare at the bouquet of roses Adrien had happened to leave behind when he'd gone to school.

"Fine," Adrien sighed and grabbed it. "But I'm walking." The Gorilla narrowed his eyes, but Adrien refused to back down. "She lives nearby and I'm not letting you drive me to her doorstep so you can sit there and wait while I have an awkward conversation with my friend," he stressed, getting back out of the car. "I'll call you when I need a pick-up." The Gorilla grunted in satisfaction and drove off as soon as Adrien closed the door.

Adrien groaned a little and looked at the bouquet. Little did his father know, Adrien Agreste's reputation had never been at stake. It was Cat Noir who'd messed up big time. He was not looking forward to this. He ducked into a nearby alley to transform. As soon as they were clear, Plagg rose up to grin at him.

"You know, sometimes I seriously consider putting a camera in the suit somehow," he said, his grin getting bigger. "You two are hilarious."

"Ha ha, Plagg," Adrien replied, rolling his eyes. "Claws out."

Cat Noir took a deep breath and leapt up, heading towards her balcony. Maybe she'd forgive him. Maybe she'd scream at him and start throwing things. Maybe she wouldn't be home?

He landed on her balcony and stared at the hatch. The lights were off... maybe she really wasn't home? He could leave the flowers and a little note of apology and call it good, right? But… it was still bright outside, so she might just be conserving energy or something. His manners dictated that he at least try. He knocked lightly on the hatch and felt his stomach plummet when his super-hearing picked up the sound of movement below.

Just apologize, he chanted at himself. Give her the flowers and apologize.

The hatch opened and her head appeared.

"Cat—"

She froze as he shoved the roses in her face.

"For you!" he declared, feeling awkward. C'mon, Cat Noir, be the confident superhero! But all he could manage was a big, cheesy grin as she looked at the flowers, then up at him, then back down to the flowers. She bit her lip, then glanced back up at him.

"Come on inside," she said finally, going back down. He swallowed the lump in his throat and followed her. At least she hadn't screamed and thrown things at him, right? It wasn't the worst-case scenario.

Once they were down in her lounge area, he offered her the flowers again, this time sweeping down on one knee and holding them out with a bow. There. That was much better. And it made her giggle a bit as she took them.

"Thank you, Cat Noir," she said, laying them down on her desk and turning back to him. "But you really didn't have to."

"Yes, I did," he said seriously, standing up and brushing himself off. He bit his lip. "A little birdy told me you weren't in school today."

She looked away. "I was worried I might get akumatized if I went to school and saw… well, I didn't want to put my friends in danger." She winced. "Which, now that I think about it, is really stupid, cause it's right across the street…."

He winced too. He didn't ever want to see her become an akuma. Especially if it was because she was upset at him. The idea of Marinette, discolored and twisted by Hawkmoth, coming at him with hate in her eyes… it was enough to make his stomach churn and give him chills.

"I'm sorry about this morning," he said quickly. "I had no right to talk to you like that."

"I'm glad you did," she said softly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm glad you told me about Adrien. It gave me time to realize what an idiot I've been with him."

"You're not an idiot," Cat protested.

She looked up at him shyly from her lashes and gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. "You haven't even seen half of my collection," she said.

Cat snorted out his own laughter, looking at her walls again. "I doubt it can get much worse! You've got—"

He froze as she suddenly pulled down something that looked like a presentation screen. On it was… a calendar? He studied it for a moment, then his eyes went wide. It was a schedule! His schedule! Adrien's schedule! And it was eerily accurate! HOLY—!

"You're not just a fangirl, princess. You're a stalker," he said dazedly, trying to stop his jaw from dropping.

"I am not a stalker, I'm a planner," she argued, crossing her arms defensively. Then she wilted. "But I know what it looks like. I started this because he's got such a crazy schedule. I thought, maybe if I could figure out the best time to go on a date, I could force myself to ask him out. Then it turned into… this." She gestured at the schedule and sank down in her chair, looking miserable. "And I never did ask him. Or even tell him about my feelings."

Cat looked at schedule for a moment. He should be seriously creeped out here. But it was kinda… well, cute. And little Marinette there… he knew she was no actual threat to him. She hadn't even been able to talk to Adrien. Even with all of this to help her…. A little laugh escaped him before he could stop it.

Her head shot up.

"Are you… laughing at me?" she asked incredulously.

He quickly covered his mouth. "No," he lied. She scowled at him and her cheeks puffed out a bit, making her look like an angry kitten. He tried to choke down more laughter. It wasn't working.

"It's. Not. Funny," she said, standing up and stalking towards him, poking him in the chest.

"It kinda is."

"How would you like it if I made fun of your crush on Ladybug?!" she asked.

"Can you get me her schedule?" he burst out before he could help himself, laughing.

She threw her hands up in the air in disgust. "Why do I even put up with you?" she exclaimed. He caught her hand before she could stomp away.

"Hey! Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made fun of you," he said, still grinning. "It's actually… really great that you care that much about him." Despite the awkwardness of it all, it made him feel warm, knowing he had someone who loved him that much.

"For all the good it did me," she muttered, looking at the schedule too. She glanced at him. "I don't suppose you could… Cataclysm that thing, could you?"

Cat smirked at her. "You want me to leave that badly, princess?"

"No, no, nevermind," she said, as she recalled he got a timer afterwards. She bit her lip and took a breath. "I need to apologize to you too. For yelling at you about Ladybug earlier. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he assured her. "You… well, you made me think about some things I didn't want to, that's all." He gave a sigh of his own. "I guess… I assumed a bit too much about Ladybug. She was always just so easy to work with, you know? We finish each other's thoughts… it's like I have a sixth sense of what she wants me to do…. Like having a soul mate. My other half. And everything always turns out so perfect in the end! I… I just kinda figured our relationship would eventually become romantic. That she'd want me automatically, or something stupid like that."

"You're not stupid," Marinette said softly. He looked down at her with a smile.

And you are gonna make me fall for you with those big, blue eyes, he thought. Then I'll really be in trouble.

Smiling, he bent down to give her a small, friendly kiss on the cheek. A thank-you. A token of affection. He wasn't expecting her to turn her head as he moved, with a puzzled, "Cat?"

He certainly wasn't expecting the heat that raced through him when his lips brushed hers.

He jolted upright, feeling his face flush and ready to start apologizing again when—he stopped. It actually hadn't been that bad. Hell, it hadn't felt bad at all! That had been pure pleasure racing through him. In fact…, he licked his lips. He wanted to do it again. There was a burning down deep in his gut—he needed to do it again. He looked down at Marinette, seeing her own blush as she stared at him. She hadn't started stammering out an apology either. She hadn't pulled away or slapped him. Had she liked it too?

Cautiously, he reached out to cup her face as he slowly leaned down. If you don't want this, princess, tell me now, he told her silently. To his delight, all she did was close her eyes as he pressed his lips against hers again.

Fire raced through him again, but he was expecting it, and the warmth and pleasure flowing through him quickly took over. It took his breath away and he could barely hear himself gasp through the rushing in his ears. It wasn't perfect; her lips were dry and his were chapped from running in the wind every night, but it was completely her and completely him, and that made it something more. He heard Marinette softly moan, and then her own hand came up to cup his face as she kissed him back.

YESSSSS, his body purred as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer as his lips moved over hers. He felt her press up against him as the hand on his cheek slid up to tangle in his hair. Her other hand was up under his arm, clutching him tightly. All the weights of the world dropped away as he reveled in just feeling the warmth of her mouth against his. OH GOD, YES.

Not Ladybug, not Ladybug, another part of his brain whispered, and, to his surprise, all he felt was relief. This was no perfect, unreachable goddess who pushed him away at every turn. This was Marinette, who knew him, both as Adrien and Cat Noir, and was holding him tight, her hand buried in his hair, her mouth responding eagerly to his as she pulled him close…. He wanted to get even closer. He had to devour her. With that in mind, he nipped at her lip lightly, smiling when she gasped and driving his tongue forward to deepen the kiss.

At that, her knees buckled from underneath her and he quickly shifted to take her weight, holding her up even as his mind filled with all the jokes he was gonna make about her falling for him. But not now. Now…. He lifted her up and pushed her against the nearest wall, only breaking the kiss when she gasped in surprise.

"Cat," she breathed.

"Shall we try that again?" he purred, pressing himself against her. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins like only the fiercest akuma fights had done before, and he was loving every minute of it, even if he wasn't completely sure he was doing things right. Still, she didn't seem to be complaining as her hands gripped at the hair at the base of his neck and pulled him to her. Once again, his mouth met hers. God, it was even better now. Her mouth was already open; eager and hot and ready for him to explore her thoroughly. And he did, taking his time to taste her. He nearly mewled as, this time, she was the one to gently tug on his lips with her teeth, soothing the bite with her tongue afterwards.

"Oh God, princess," he gasped huskily, crashing their lips together and pulling her flush against him. He felt her legs wrap around him, the softness and warmth of her body cradling him. For the first time, he cursed his Miraculous armor, because he could barely feel anything through the damn suit. It was made to slam into buildings, not feel the smoothness of the skin of the girl pressed up against him. And he was too scared to use his hands to rub up against her; his claws might hurt her. Unlike a real cat, the damn things weren't retractable. (As Plagg would say, claws out!) But he wanted to touch her. He wanted MORE. He needed more. Something darker, more primal, rose inside him. He needed to wipe out all thoughts of idiotic models and unreachable superheroes and mark her as his.

With that in mind, he moved away from her lips to trail kisses down her neck, breathing in her scent. There was a spot, right at the juncture of her neck and collarbone, where he could hear her blood pounding furiously. He kissed it and she made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a squeak. Bingo. He attacked it; kissing, sucking, biting, and licking it as her body writhed under his, her gasps quickly turning into deep moans that shot straight down his spine. He sucked harder.

"Cat, Cat, please, Oh God, please," she chanted breathlessly. What she was begging for, he wasn't sure. But her hands, clutching at him and running through his hair, were urging him on and—they hit a spot just behind his cat ears and his whole body surged. He let his claws dig into her shirt just enough—not too deep, don't touch the skin, he didn't want to hurt her—but if he pulled down….

He froze as he realized just what he'd done. What he'd been about to do. He wasn't sure he dared to breathe.

"Cat?" she called, sounding anxious at his abrupt stop. Fuck, fuck, fuck, no, he had to stop this right now! He buried his face in her neck so he wouldn't have to look at her just yet. Slowly, he let her down and removed his claws from her shirt, bracing himself against the wall behind her as he forced himself to breathe. No, no, nononononono… this was all wrong! And if he didn't say something soon, she might catch on... she was still holding him tightly, after all, and carding her hand through his hair so purrfectly... She giggled. "You should see your tail, Cat Noir. It's ramrod straight."

Ohh, it's not the only thing, princess.

He drew a shuddering breath and pulled away to look down at her, taking deep breaths. "I… uh…" Oh, fuck. She looked ravished. Mussed hair, bruised lips, and a large red spot on her neck that was surely going to darken here soon. It wasn't doing anything to lessen his current state, that was for sure.

"I should go," he gulped, grinning at her sheepishly. She blinked at him, glanced slowly down his body, and quickly looked back up at his face again.

"Y-yeah, th-that might be best," she agreed, blushing furiously.

Cat shot off her as if he had been burned. He was halfway across her room before he forced himself to stop. Part of him wanted to run as quickly and as far away as possible. Maybe take a cold shower and try to forget this had ever happened. But the other part… he clenched his fist. They were already the epitome of an awkward couple, and they weren't even really a couple! They both loved someone else! Well, he loved someone else, she just didn't know who he was behind the mask, so it was like being in love with someone else…. And he wasn't sure if that made it better or worse… but—

"Cat Noir?" Marinette's voice called from where he'd left her.

"I don't want to leave on another bad note," he muttered, not turning to look at her just yet. If he saw her looking so messy and wild again, he might do something he'd regret later.

Probably.

Maybe.

He might regret it a little bit.

He tensed when he heard her move towards him. He wasn't completely back to normal yet, and he didn't think he could face her like this. Her hand lightly touched his arm and he jumped, relieved when all she did was rest her forehead on his back.

"Look," she said, sounding as breathless as he felt. "I don't know what just happened between us, and I don't pretend to understand what's going on with you and Ladybug. But I do know, no matter what, in the end, I still want to be your friend, Cat Noir. Can you promise me that much, at least?"

He nearly sobbed. Here he was, worse than trash, taking something that didn't belong to him when both their hearts were with somebody else—and dammit, he knew who she wanted and refused to give him to her—and she still… He spun around and grabbed her in the biggest hug ever. He pulled her as close as he dared, and not nearly as much as he wanted.

"I don't deserve a friend like you," he whispered, feeling her arms go around him.

"I'm really not that great," Marinette replied, her voice breaking too.

He wanted to ask her what she meant by that, to claim that she was worth a thousand of him, but at the same time, he didn't want to start another argument. He just wanted to stay there and hold her for a moment, as though his heart wasn't shredding itself into a thousand pieces from all the heartbreak he was putting both her and himself through.

Eventually, all good things must come to an end, and Cat knew his driver would relay just how long he was with his "friend" to his father. He had to go. And she…. He closed his eyes and swallowed.

"You should talk to Adrien," he said quietly, hating himself. "Just—just to get things out in the open."

"Same for you and Ladybug," she said, sounding like she was ready to cry. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "No more 'what ifs.'" He nodded. He intended to do that anyway, the next time he saw her.

Then, before he could think better of it, he leaned down and kissed her again, fiercely. He ended it before she could respond, fisting his hand in her hair and resting his forehead against hers. Dammit, he should be apologizing to her, not making it worse! But—

"I'm not sorry," he rasped out. "Whatever else happens… I liked kissing you. So much."

"So do it again, you stupid cat," she breathed.

He groaned and did just that. He was never going to get out of here! Not with the way she was cupping his face and letting their tongues play sensually, dancing… He needed this. He was addicted to this already. The warmth coiling deep in stomach. The way he was clutching her hair like a lifeline, swallowing her moans, holding her body to him possessively as his other hand ran down her back—

No, Cat! He pulled away from her desperately.

"Go! I have to—!"

Then she was the one with her hands in his hair, pulling him back down for another bruising, deep kiss and—oh, fuck, she was hot when she dominated—pressing up against him and then pushing him away with a cry, shaking her head like she couldn't get him out of her thoughts.

"Go, yes! You need to go! You have to go," Marinette said, ducking her head and covering her face with her hands so he couldn't attack her again. He panted, staring at her.

"I don't want to go," he admitted. She peeked up at him from between her fingers.

"I don't want you to go either, but…." She drew a deep, ragged breath.

He nodded, gulping. But. But they both had people they needed to talk to. People they loved. And him staying here wasn't going to help the situation one bit. He took a step back and hesitated.

"Can I still come back?" he asked, worried he had crossed one too many lines already. They'd both just said they wanted to stay friends, but… To his relief, she smiled at him.

"Always."

His heart lighter, he nodded and leapt out her hatch before he did something stupid, like scoop her up, lay her down on that chaise, and complicate the fuck out of this whole situation further!

He made sure he was a couple buildings away before he leaned against a wall and sank to the ground in frustration. WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING? What the actual—what had he intended to gain with that? Making out with her? Oh, what a good idea, you stupid asshole! He loved someone else! She loved someone else! Someone—he groaned. Someone he could give to her, if he stopped being such a stubborn jerk. If he gave up on Ladybug. He could reveal himself to her. He was sure eventually Marinette would forgive him for all the shit he'd just put her through and they could be happy together, but…

The image of Ladybug—her bright, confidant smile, elegant body, and playful eyes—popped into his mind and he groaned aloud. He just… loved her so damn much! He couldn't even explain it! He'd been happily making out with another girl and all it took was the thought of her to bring all those feelings back!

"Plagg," he whimpered, needing companionship, even his unhelpful kwami's, "claws in."

He felt the magic withdraw like it always did, but Plagg didn't immediately start harassing him. He looked up to see the kwami shaking his head at him.

"Kid," he said, "you are in desperate need of cheese."

End Chapter 4.