"Nnng…"

Marinette tossed and turned uncomfortably in her sleep. Her head was killing her, and her body ached. With a groan, she opened her eyes, squinting as they were hit by the light. For a moment, her mind felt foggy. How did she get here? And how much time had passed since then? The last thing she remembered was falling unconscious on the bridge...she sure had been doing that a lot lately, she thought dryly. She gingerly touched the tender spot in the back of her head where the shark had struck, only to find that someone had bandaged it. A small smile spread across her lips. Was it Nino who had treated her wounds?

She suddenly became aware of the fact that there was another presence beside her, and she looked around to inspect her surroundings. Her eyes bulged and she almost leapt out of the bed as she turned to see Chat Noir lying next to her, unconscious. When had he gotten into the same bed as her?

"You're awake, huh?" Nino's voice remarked from somewhere to her left. She jumped and whirled around, startled.

"N-Nino? What am I doing here?" she asked, gesturing to the captain beside her. Her cheeks burned at the thought that she had just shared a bed with Chat Noir.

He merely shrugged. "It's easier to put you and Captain in the same room so I can check on both of you at the same time. That's the downside when you only have a crew of two. Sorry about that."

"Oh," she let out a sigh of relief. He did have a point, now that she thought about it. How had the two of them managed on their own when it usually took more than ten strong men to maneuver these ships? Her brain whirled with all the questions she was dying to ask, but she knew she probably wouldn't be able to get answers to all of them, especially not when they were racing against time to save Chat Noir. That would be a mystery that she would have to wait and solve some other day. There were more pressing matters, after all...She nodded to the captain. "So, er, how is he?"

Nino's expression darkened and he shook his head. "He's getting worse. He's got a fever now, too."

Marinette leaned over and gently brushed Chat Noir's golden bangs to one side – she tried to ignore how soft his hair felt in her hands - while being careful not to disturb his rest, and lightly touched his forehead with the back of her hand. She let out a hiss of surprise and jerked her hand away as though she had been stung. His skin was on fire.

"I know how to heal surface wounds, but there's nothing I can do for a fever," Nino went on, clenching his hand in frustration.

Speaking of fevers...Marinette blinked as she suddenly remembered a story she had read when she was younger. In the novel, the main male character had developed a fever after he saved a girl from falling into a lake. She had then taken off her clothes to use her body heat to reduce his fever. Maybe...just maybe...that to lower Chat's fever...

Her face turned redder than a tomato and she quickly shook her head to push the dirty thoughts away. There was no way that she, a princess, would do something so scandalous with a pirate like Chat Noir, especially when she was yet to be married! This would no doubt become a scandal that the people of France would talk about for years to come if they ever found out that their beloved princess had slept with one of the world's most wanted pirates! And if she did, there was no way she would be worthy of Adrien's hand in marriage. Oh, what was she getting herself into? And not to mention she could never marry Adrien now…

But what if this was the only way to help Chat Noir…? Was she willing to risk everything, to throw everything away, for someone she barely knew?

Chat Noir sacrificed his own life to save you, a small voice reminded her in the back of her mind. And no matter how much she tried to deny it, she knew that that was the truth. After all, she had already resolved to saving him, and this was only part of the deal. If she didn't help him now, she would be indebted to him forever. That was all there was to it. Besides, he was unconscious. It wasn't like he was going to do anything to her, right?

This is for Chat Noir, she reminded herself again. If it wasn't for him, she would have ended up as the shark's breakfast by now...it was Chat Noir who had come to save her when she needed him the most. Now, it was his turn to need her help...Her cheeks flushed despite herself. It felt nice to know that someone needed her.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. Right. Now that she had made the decision to go through with her plan, she ought to do it quickly so she could get it over with.

It was then that she became painfully aware of Nino lounging in the old arm chair, waiting patiently as she deliberated with herself. She turned to him, finally making up her mind. "T-There might be one way," she mumbled, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as she wondered if this truly was the right thing to do. It's now or never, Marinette. Where's that courage of yours when you need it the most? she encouraged herself firmly.

His eyes widened as she finally mustered the courage to continue, "to help with his fever. Using body heat..." she trailed off in embarrassment, not wanting to explain further if she didn't have to. Nino, much to her chagrin, still hadn't caught on to the implication and blinked at her in confusion. With a blush, she reluctantly elaborated, "I...I read in a book that body heat can reduce fevers. I'm not sure if it will work, but I-I can share my body heat with him...I mean, not that I'm going to sleep with him or anything! It's only so I can transfer my body heat to him...and..." She groaned inwardly. Great, now she was rambling. She bit her tongue to shut herself up before she sounded even more of a fool in front of the first mate.

Nino simply gapped at her as though she had suddenly sprouted two heads. Argh...why did boys have to be so impossible at times like these!? She decided to just get straight to the point. "W-Would you mind helping me take off his suit?" she blurted. To think that she, Princess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would dare to ask such a question...she let out a groan, desperately wishing that she could just dig a hole and bury herself in it.

Nino opened and closed his mouth before he finally found his voice. "Take off his suit? I didn't know you were that bold, Marinette," he teased, making her blush even more.

"I-It's not like that!" she spluttered, waving her hands wildly in protest. Nino smirked at her in amusement, obviously having way too much fun at her expense. She glared at him frostily. The nerve.

"Alright, alright," Nino said, saving her from having to die from further embarrassment. "It's worth a try. I'll help." Nino sauntered towards his unconscious captain, who was oblivious to the events unfolding in front of him. Marinette quickly covered her eyes with her hands to give him some privacy, but she couldn't stop herself from staring as Nino unzipped the catsuit. She had never really studied a boy, no, a man, this close before. She had only read about such things in her romance novels, or heard about them from her boy-obsessed best friend. To see Chat Noir, the dangerous pirate captain,p like this...Her breath caught. She couldn't help but stare in awe at his sturdy physique, and the buff muscles and nasty-looking scars that hid underneath. Marinette stared in awe at a particularly horrible scar that ran across his chest. Who did that to you? she asked silently. Her hands itched to trace along those lines, but caught herself in time. No, she couldn't think about that right now!

At Nino's cough, she quickly remembered what she was supposed to be doing and turned to him. "Er, I'll help him now, but would you mind leaving the room? So I can...you know..." she trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud in fear of making it sound worse. She was already embarrassed enough.

"Sorry! Of course!" Nino apologized quickly and hurried out of the room, leaving Marinette alone with the pirate captain.

She stared at Chat Noir for a moment before taking a deep breath. You owe me big time for this, she complained silently as she slipped her pink-and-white dress off her small frame and tossed it into the now unoccupied chair. She cast a sideways glance at the dress. Now that she was working with pirates, she ought to wear something more practical. Marinette made a mental note to ask Nino if she could purchase fabric at their next stop so she could design some pants for herself. She shook her head. She could think about that later. She had something more important she had to do...

Marinette slipped into the bed and crawled toward Chat Noir, her cheeks flaming as her body pressed against his and his warmth seeped through her skin. He felt warm. Too warm. She could only hope that this would be enough to help reduce his fever.

Please be okay, Chat Noir, she begged, praying to whichever gods that might be listening to her pleas. Then again, if gods really did exist, Hawk Moth wouldn't have ruined her beloved country, and Adrien wouldn't have gone missing...Please, just this once, help save Chat Noir. Without him, I wouldn't be here right now, she pleaded desperately. I'll...I'll do anything to save him. And to save my country.

As if in response, Chat Noir stirred next to her. "Urgh…" he moaned just then, breaking her out of her thoughts and making Marinette almost jump in surprise. As her speeding heart slowed, she saw with concern that he was drenched in cold sweat. He continued tossing and turning, his breathing shallow. Marinette's heart ached to see him like this. After a few unrestful moments, he cracked an eye open and stared dazedly at her. "Princess? Am I in heaven?" he croaked.

"No!" she squeaked, pulling the blanket over herself with lightening speed so he wouldn't be able to see her naked body. She let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding once she saw that he hadn't noticed. "You're alive, but you have a fever. You should get some rest!"

"I'm sorry…for not saving you…for everything…" he muttered, his voice filled with pain. His eyes were gazing at a place faraway, and it seemed like he wasn't talking to her anymore, but Marinette's heart cried for him. She had always thought that he was strong and proud. But for him to show her his vulnerable side, and for him to have had once faced something so terrible...she wondered what had been responsible for him to end up in such a state of despair. And who was he apologizing to? Was it his family? His…lover? Her heart twisted at the thought, that maybe Chat Noir had someone who he was in love with but was unable to protect. She knew what that felt like, not being able to protect Adrien and not knowing how he was doing or where he was now. Was that what caused Chat Noir to be swallowed by the darkness?

As she laid next to him, the warmth from his feverish body seeping into her own, she admitted that she had harbored prejudice against him just because he was a pirate. In truth, she hardly knew who he was. What had he been like before he became a pirate? What made him the way he was? Why was he doing all of this? Chat Noir…just who really was he? To Marinette, he was a book waiting for her to open, a puzzle waiting for her to solve. And she was going to solve the puzzle that was Chat Noir if it was the last thing she did, because she had to give him at least that much after he saved her life despite putting his own in danger.

She leaned forward and gently kissed him on his cheek. "You saved me, Chaton," she said. She knew it wasn't enough to heal his heart, but it was the only thing that she could do for him. "I'm still alive because of you. So…thank you."

Upon hearing her words, he let out a defeated sigh and rolled over, falling into an uneasy sleep. Marinette watched him sleep for a few more moments before exhaustion took over. It wasn't long before she too followed him into the world of dreams...


"Marinette..."

She looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Its sound was so familiar that even hearing it hurt.

"Adrien?" she called desperately, reaching for him in the darkness. "Where are you?"

"I'm here, Marinette. I'm right here..." he continued, his voice smooth as silk. That was one of the reasons why Marinette loved him so much.

"No, stop lying!" she protested. "You're not here. France needs you, Adrien! I need you!"

She felt something warm touch her head. In the dark, she couldn't tell if it was his hand, or his lips, but the comforting action made her blush. "Find Master Fu, Marinette. He can help you." There was a long, painful pause before he went on, "And why would you need me when you already have Chat Noir?"

Marinette sat up with a jolt and slapped her cheeks to wake herself up. No, stop thinking about that! she scolded herself.

She quickly remembered why her mind was in such turmoil in the first place. She sighed and turned to the source of her conflicting emotions. He was sleeping more peacefully now, but his jaw was still clenched in pain. She longed to take off his mask to see who he really was, but deep down, her heart told her that it wasn't right. This was part of the mystery she had vowed to solve, and she would solve it with her own two hands. Taking advantage of him when he was in this state...that wasn't who she was. She continued gazing at him, lost in her own thoughts, when something rough but warm touched her shoulder.

Thump.

Marinette let out a scream, then relaxed when she realized that it was only Nino who had placed a hand on her shoulder. She let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Nino! You scared me!" she squealed, her earlier nightmare forgotten as she was reminded of their current situation.

"Never mind that! Cover up first, Marinette!" Nino said, his face completely red as he stared at her. It took her a moment before the thought that Nino had just saw her naked finally registered in her brain. As realization dawned upon her, she screamed even more and ducked under the blanket to hide herself. In her terror, she had completely forgotten that she had gone to bed without wearing any clothes. She moaned in dismay. There was no chance that she was ever going to get married now! How was she ever going to face Adrien and tell him the truth? I'm sorry, Adrien, but I slept with Chat Noir, and by the way, Nino saw me naked too.THAT would definitely not turn out well... "Go away, Nino!" she wailed, her voice coming out muffled thanks to her hiding under the blanket.

"It's okay for the Captain to see you like that, but not me?" Nino joked to lighten the atmosphere, but this turned out to be the wrong thing to say. Marinette popped up from under the sheets and gave him a glare that read, say one word to Chat Noir and you're dead. Nino shivered at her death glare and held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright, I'll leave you two alone! I just wanted to tell you that we've arrived!"

Marinette's eyes widened at Nino's news. "We're here?" she repeated, her earlier embarrassment forgotten.

"Aye! Put some clothes on and let's go!" Nino laughed and danced out of the room as Marinette chucked a pillow after him. She sighed, hastily slipping out of the bed to put on her dress. She cast one last look at Chat Noir before following Nino out of the room and onto the deck.

Her breath caught as she took in the sight in front of her. She had never had a chance to see how Paris looked from the sea, and the view that greeted her was incredible. She could see seagulls soaring in the distance and bustling seafood markets dotting the harbor. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sun's warmth and relishing in the scents of the ocean. She hadn't felt this calm and well rested since she had been -

"Princess, there's no time for sight seeing. We've got a Captain to save," Nino reminded her, slapping her on the back to snap her out of her reverie. She shook her head and turned to him. "Here's the plan. We'd be more conspicuous if we go together, so it would be better if you go first and scout ahead. When you see that the coast is clear, give me a signal so I can bring the Captain with me. Got it?"

Marinette nodded. Nino's plan made sense. They couldn't risk getting caught, especially not with Chat Noir's life on the line. "What kind of signal?" she asked.

He gave her a sly grin. "Surprise me, Princess." With that, he tossed a black cloak to her, then gave her a wave and headed back downstairs. "I'll get Chat Noir. Head out when you're ready."

Marinette watched him go before wrapping the delicate cloak over herself. She gazed back out at the city. It had once been her home, welcoming and friendly, but now it appeared daunting and foreign.

She didn't know how their trip was going to turn out, but she did know that whatever was coming next was definitely going to be interesting...she took a deep breath to brace herself for the upcoming adventure.

Here goes nothing.


A/n: I'm so sorry for not updating in a while! /runs and hides/ but hopefully the Marichat scenes make up for my absence ;)

I wasn't sure if I should've had Marinette do something so scandalous this early in the story, but I think it's in her nature to care about others, especially if they had helped her. So I think she would do anything to help Chat Noir, even if it meant sharing her body heat with him...(I blame reading too many mangas for these ideas xD) do let me know what your thoughts are, I'd love to hear what you think too~!

Thank you, thank you for your amazing support for this story so far! I wouldn't have kept writing if it wasn't for your wonderful reviews and words of encouragement! Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait~ :)