Over the next few days, Marinette was getting used to staying in this place, sure she missed her father and her friends back in the village, but at least she had Pepper.
One winter morning as the two of were having a nice stroll around the grounds, Pollen came running out of the castle door and slipped and skidded into a small snowdrift a little ahead of them, breaking Marinette from her thoughts.
Giggling, Marinette, in her new sea-green dress and fur rimmed cloak, got to her knees and welcomed Pollen into her arms hugging her.
o0o
Up on his balcony Chat Noir was watching her with Plagg, Wayzz and Tikki.
"I've never felt this way about anyone..." he said as he gently stroked his bandages arm "I want to do something for her. But what?" he asked not really sure what he can do.
"Well, there's the usual things, flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep," Wayzz listed.
"No, no, it must be something very special," Plagg said cutting him off thinking.
"I have an idea, but it needs your permission Chat Noir," Tikki said and whispered it in his ear.
Thinking about it Chat nodded and went to collect Marinette.
o0o
Back inside the castle in a new part where Marinette's not been to yet, she and Chat were standing outside a set of double doors.
"Marinette... There's something i want to show you. But first you have to close your eyes," Chat said smiling gently, then seeing her unsure look he said "It's a surprise."
Smiling, Marinette closed her eyes, heard Chat open the doors and felt him gently guide her inside.
"Can I open them?" she asked after a few seconds.
"No, no not yet," Chat said bringing her to the middle of the room "Wait here."
Chat went around and opened the thick curtains that were blocking out the sun, Marinette feeling the warmth as it came in.
"Now can I open them?" she asked hopefully.
"Alright... Now." Chat said checking everything was perfect.
Slowly Marinette opened her eyes and she gasped amazed at how huge this designer's studio, complete with it's own, table-sewing-machine', was and just how many different types of threads, materials and patterns were on the shelves and walls, not to mentions all the different sized manikins.
"I don't believe it!"Marinette said beaming happily "This place it amazing."
"You... You like?" Chat asked hopefully.
"It's wonderful," she said smiling really wanting to run over and looked at everything there was, not sure where to start.
"Then it's yours," Chat said smiling.
Surprised Marinette turned to him "Really?" she asked, getting a nod "Thank you!" she cheered running up to him and hugging him in thanks before zooming off to see what there actually was.
Chat was surprised at the hug and screaming in his head 'She hugged me!'.
.
At the door, Plagg, Tikki, Wayzz, Alya, Nooroo, and Trix, were all watching the older ones all happy this worked but Nooroo and Trix didn't understand.
"Oh well done, lovebug," Plagg said happily hugging Tikki "That was a great idea!"
"Yes it sure was," Wayzz agreed Alya nodding as well.
"And they're one step closer to breaking the spell." she said.
"But all he did was give her the Kings old designing room." Nooroo said confused.
"Yeah what's the big deal in that?" Trix asked.
"Come along you two, there's work to be done in the kitchen." Alya said making them follow her.
A couple of days later, Chat asked if Marinette would like to have breakfast with him and she agreed.
So they were in the dining hall together, with some nice warm porridge.
Marinette, remembering her table manners from her mother took the spoon in her right hand and bending the wrist scooped some out and gracefully brought it to her mouth.
Loving the taste, she looked up to see if Chat liked it, and was surprised to see what a mess he was making as he ate it like he was an animal.
Hearing her gasp, Chat looked up to see what was wrong, his cheeks stuffed and porridge all over him and the table.
Alya, Nooroo and Trix winced a little and looked back to Marinette, who tried not to notice.
They look back to Chat, Trix looking at his spoon and gently nudged it towards him.
Slowly Chat reached out for it and took a spoonful and brought it to his mouth but he tilted it a bit too soon and it fell off meaning he had to duck and open his mouth to catch it.
This made Trix laugh a little but she stopped when she got a look from Alya.
But on hearing the laugh, Chat stopped and sighed putting the spoon back down.
Marinette saw this and getting an idea, put her spoon down as well and picked up her bowl.
Smiling Chat did as well and together they gently tipped them and brought them to their lips.
o0o
That day they spent it outside, Marinette wearing the cloak from before, and holding a bag of birdseed in her hand.
Seeing some birds she slowly went over and gave them some.
Chat, in his own cold weather worthy outfit, not really one for birds seeing that the feathers made him sneeze only watched.
Seeing him all alone, Marinette waved him to come over, not wanting to disappoint her, he came over and let her give him some birdseed.
-.-
'There's something sweet and almost kind
But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined
And now, he's dear and so unsure
I wonder why I didn't see it there before'
-.-
Marinette had been watching Chat trying not to sneeze as he fed the birds wanting to get it done so he can get away from them, but they kept flying off.
Thinking he needed help she came down, showed him how to hold out his paws and laid a trail of seed for the bird who then followed it into his paws.
-.-
'She glanced this way
And I thought I saw
And when we touched she didn't shudder out of my paw
No, it can't be
I'll just ignore
But then she's never looked at me that way before.'
-.-
More birds were coming to eat out of Chat's paws, one of them landing on Marinette's shoulders and getting her attention making her follow it, before it flew off, making her come to a tree which she hid behind to think for a bit, taking the hood of the cloak down.
-.-
'New... and a bit alarming.
Who could ever have thought this could be...'
-.-
She thought to herself looking behind the tree as he started sneezing and scaring the birds away making her giggle.
-.-
True... that's he no Prince Charming
But there's something in him
That I simply didn't see...
-.-
Just as Chat recovered from the birds and their feathers, he was hit in the face with a snowball thrown my Marinette.
o0o
Inside the castle Plagg, Tikki, Wayzz, and Alya, were all looking out the windows and watching the snowball fight.
-.-
(P) - 'Well, who'd have thought'
(A) - 'Well, bless my soul'
(W) - 'Well, who'd have known'
(A) - 'Well who, indeed'
(T) - 'And who'd have guessed that they'd come together on their own'
(A) - 'It's so peculiar'
-.-
Once the fight was over (with Marinette winning) she and Chat came back inside and went to her new design studio where Chat was helping her with a new dress she was making for herself.
'We'll wait and see
just a few days more
There may be something there that wasn't there before'
'Well Perhaps there's something there that wasn't there before' Wayzz sang with a knowing smile.
"What?" Nooroo and Trix ask together not understanding any of this.
'There maybe something there that wasn't there before...' Alya sang bag agreeing.
"What's there Alya?" Trix asked hate not knowing. "I'll tell you when you're older," Alya said shushing her as they closed the door to leave Marinette and Chat in peace.
AN: Well that's 'Something There' done.
Now. Should I try and do 'Human Again' (the cut scene when they're cleaning up the castle)
Or go right into the dance?