Marinette squealed in her pillow as loudly as she could, stopping when she was out of oxygen. Pulling her face back out, Alya and Tiana were laughing at her little fit.
"I take it that means your lunch went well." Alya commented, Tiana still laughing at her.
"Did you tell him?" Tiana asked after controlling her laughter at last.
"No, not yet. I want to make sure everything is perfect!" Marinette squealed, clutching her pillow to her chest now as she thought about how well things have been going recently. Her and Adrien have been talking so much, its been so nice she hasn't really thought to tell him how she dreams of him every night and had loved him for three years.
"So why is it your not texting him right now like you've been doing EVERY day?" Alya asked, sitting down beside her on the bed. Almost immediately, a frown formed on her lips.
"He's with Chloe." Marinette muttered, reaching over for her phone that she had left on the headboard of her bed.
"Well he is friends with her too, isn't he?" Tiana asked, Marinette shrugging as she didn't want to think too much on it. She knew it wasn't fair to keep him all for herself deep down, but she still didn't want Chloe having him either. "You can't keep him to yourself, Mari." Tiana said flatly, grinning cheekily when Marinette stuck her tongue out at her for the nickname.
"He has been friends with her since they were kids, even though she's so obsessed about wanting him all for herself. Its his decision to keep putting up with her I guess." Alya too shrugged, pulling her own phone out of her pocket.
"He did yell at her back when she picked a fight with Tiana though, I thought he was done with her bullying." Marinette lamented, wishing Chloe wouldn't be a defining factor in their school lives anymore.
Or at least that she'd change finally after all these years. Why can't she just be nice for once?
"Adrien's capable of yelling at someone?" Tiana asked, smiling lazily at her at the notion. Honestly, it did surprise her too when she saw Adrien angry. It was such a rarity, she was used to him being a gentleman and sweet guy all the time.
"If you do something to his friends that he cares about, yeah." Alya said, eyes glued to her phone screen once more. Marinette chuckled quietly as Tiana cooed at how sweet Adrien could be.
For a moment, there was a flicker of doubt in her again as she didn't want to doubt that Tiana only viewed Adrien as a friend. But she squashed that doubt almost immediately.
She knew Tiana. Tiana has been open and straight forward about how she feels about anyone she's met. She doesn't like Adrien the way that she does.
Heck, Marinette felt bad at times as she saw the way Nathaniel held lingering looks on her. She wasn't sure, but she thought maybe he might be starting to view Tiana in a different way, and Tiana's bubbly outlook on life kept her from seeing it.
Though, with a glance at Tiana as she looked over Alyas shoulder at her best friends phone, she had to wonder. The different side that they all saw of Tiana that day at the end of class, that was so much different than what she could have expected. It is possible that Tiana knows Nathaniel might be starting to develop feelings for her, but is just keeping a mask up like she does when the topic of parents is mentioned.
They've known her for almost a month, but there was still so much to learn.
"So, why is it you toned down your punishment of Chloe?" Alya asked Tiana as her phone played the audio for whatever they were watching.
"I don't know what your talking about. I'm not punishing her. I just respond back when she takes a hit at any of you." Tiana pointed out, Marinette awwing before reaching over to try to hug the sweet still somewhat new girl.
"You're kinda scary in that you can go from super sweet, to evil depending on the situation." Alya teased, Tiana sticking her tongue out at her as Marinette laughed at her friends.
A beep from her phone dragged her attention away, however. Both her friends laughed at her the moment she dove for her phone to check if Adrien texted her back.
"Well, its back to Adrien now." Tiana teased next, Marinette too busy replying to Adrien to worry about sticking her tongue out at either her or Alya who was still laughing.
Adrien put his phone back in his pocket upon spying Chloe walking back to their table, clicking her polished nails on the table as she sat back down.
He didn't understand why it took her over fifteen minutes just to go "freshen up" in the bathroom as she had said.
"They still haven't come back with our drinks?" Chloe asked, frowning indignantly in the direction of one of the waiters.
"It's busy right now, Chloe. We're not the only ones here." Adrien reminded, Chloe still frowning before turning her eyes down to her phone.
Sighing, Adrien leaned back in his chair. Hopefully this wouldn't be all that she does while they're out together.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You were just texting someone before I came back." Chloe pointed out, looking up from her phone. As Adrien was about to reply, their waiter came back with their drinks.
Seeing the way Chloe scowled at the man as he turned away after getting their orders, he took a sip of his tea. "Chloe, why do you still treat people like this?" Adrien asked as Chloe turned her gaze once more to her phone.
"I treat everyone the way they deserve to be treated. I'm not being horrible as you called me." Chloe remarked, Adrien sighing as he knew without having to look in her eyes that she was hurt.
"I'm sorry for calling you horrible. You as a person aren't horrible, but you make others feel like they are at times, Chloe. It's not right." Adrien explained leaning over to put his hand over her screen in hopes of having eye contact while they talked.
"If your referring to the way I was talking to Tatiana, I haven't done anything to her since." Chloe reminded him, which wasn't a lie as she hadn't really had much interaction with Tiana since. What interaction she did have, however, was quite brief. At least Tiana didn't make it worse by doing anything, and just returned to her kindly ways.
"I'm not referring to Tiana, Chlo." Adrien advised as Chloe finally put her phone in her purse. "I know you have been doing this for years, but can't you treat everyone the way you want to be treated, instead of seeing everyone as beneath you? You used to be so nice to everyone when we were kids." Adrien reminded, Chloe looking away from him once more. Sighing, Adrien leaned back in his chair once again.
This was going nowhere.
"They all treat me like I'm some witch, it's only fair to treat them the same way." Chloe huffed, folding her arms defensively on the table.
"Not everyone treats you that way, just the people that you've made feel horrible before hand. Could you at least try to be nice again? If not for them, because I asked you to? I miss how you used to be when we were kids, I know this can't be the real you Chloe." Adrien reminded, watching the way Chloe's eyes softened even when she wasn't looking him in the eye.
There was no way that she could be as horrible as she treated their friends at times, Chloe was his friend. Is his friend. He had to believe that deep down this wasn't the way she wanted to be towards others, or be viewed by others.
Chloe was silent up until their waiter came back with their food. A small smile formed on his lips when she quietly thanked the man before he walked away. Well, that's a start.
They ate in relative silence up until Adrien felt his phone vibrate from his pocket, looking down at it briefly to see a reply from Marinette. "What's going on between you and this girl?" Chloe asked suddenly as Adrien looked back up, deciding to reply after they were done.
"What do you mean?" Adrien asked, genuinely confused on who she was referring to as he was friends with many girls.
"I know it can't possibly be Nino you've been replying to so quickly, so it has to be a girl. I was figuring it was either Tatiana, or Marinette." Chloe pulled a sneer at the mention of Marinette, Adrien frowning at her for a moment before she quickly masked her disdain over his friend.
"I'm not replying to her, I was just checking to see who texted me." Adrien corrected, as he poked at his pasta, Chloe still watching him closely.
"That didn't answer my question, just that it is one of them." Chloe pointed out before taking another bite of her salad.
"Nothings going on between me and either of them. They're my friends." Adrien reminded, purposefully not telling her it was Marinette because he knew how Chloe felt about Marinette. Hopefully one day she'd get over whatever reason she has for not liking Marinette and they could actually be friendlier to one another.
"You and I are friends, and you never reply back to me that fast." Chloe said with a flat look on him before taking another bite of her salad. "So obviously one of you hopes that it'll become more than friends." Chloe surmised, Adrien shaking his head at the notion.
This was Marinette. He liked her, yes, but as a friend. The only person he could ever actually see himself with was Ladybug, and that was still a work in progress as it was.
Besides, Marinette was so sweet and friendly, that would be odd to want to date someone so close to him.
"No, Chloe. We've just been talking more because she's been under a lot of stress recently, so I've been trying to help make sure she doesn't let it get to her." Adrien explained, their conversation being interrupted when the waiter came back with their check.
Paying the man and making sure to give him a nice tip, since Chloe glared at him most of the time, they started to prepare to leave.
As they walked out of the restaurant and Adrien waited with Chloe for her ride to arrive, Chloe once more brought them back to the topic of the girl he was texting.
"Whichever one of them it is your texting," Chloe began as Adrien looked at his phone to see the group text chat going off again. "I'm telling you, they're hoping it becomes something more." Chloe said, Adrien glad she didn't see when he rolled his eyes.
"Trust me, Chlo. It's just friends. But back to our earlier conversation." Adrien was silenced by Chloe holding a hand up in front of his face, glad she at least didn't poke him in the nose like Ladybug does.
"I'll try, I guess." Chloe muttered, looking away with a sullen look in her eyes as her driver pulled up to the curb. "Thank you, for at least coming out for dinner with me." Chloe thanked, Adrien grinning at her as that was definitely a start right there.
"I'm your friend too, Chloe. I know we haven't really been seeing eye to eye recently, but don't forget that you're still my friend." Adrien reminded, still smiling as Chloe dawned a small smile of her own at last.
With a honk from the impatient driver, she huffed. "I'll see you at school then." Chloe said, turning to go get in the car.
Before she got far, she turned around and grabbed him in a quick hug, startling him briefly as Chloe wasn't one for random bouts of affection. She usually did it to prove a point or gain something out of.
Without another word, she let go of him and turned around to go to the car. Just as she opened the door, she turned to look down the street.
"Well, there's your "friend" right now." Chloe muttered, getting in the car right after.
Huh? Glancing down the street where she was looking, he saw Tiana walking alone with her school bag slung over her shoulder.
What was she still doing out? He could have sworn hearing her say something along the lines of her parents didn't like her out alone after dark.
With one last glance at the retreating car that Chloe had gotten in to, Adrien started to head in the direction he had seen Tiana walking.
As he got closer, he noticed a pair of headphones over her head that had a pair of cat ears attached and lit up green. A grin almost immediately broke out on his lips, wondering for a moment if Tiana was a fan of Chat Noir like most of Paris was at this point.
Holding back a bit from her pace, he realized there was an extra hop in her step, figuring she was walking to the beat of whatever song she was listening to.
As she rounded a corner, she grabbed a light post to pivot off of and go the new direction, Adrien laughing a little at how she didn't even seen to notice the other people on the streets who would stare at her oddly. Or maybe she did notice, but just didn't care?
Regardless, he could only find himself continuing to follow curiously after her as she walked.
His curiosity diminished, however, when he noticed a few burly men walk out of a building and spot her and grin crookedly among themselves before following after Tiana.
Adrien didn't hesitate. Dropping back into an alleyway, Plagg popped out of his shirt.
"I'm sure she could handle herself, she does have that air about her." Plagg pointed out almost as soon as he was out.
"I don't care. Plagg, Claws Out!"
With a wail, Plagg was pulled into his ring as the green light enveloped him. Within seconds, he was ready and vaulting up to the roof above to get an aerial view on the situation.
They hadn't gotten far, maybe a block or two down the road when Chat spied the green light of Tiana's headphones. As she kept walking, he noticed at the end of the road was one of the larger properties he's seen in Paris. Was that where she was heading?
She glanced back when one of the burly men called at her, however. Chat held his staff tighter as he prepared to jump in at a seconds notice.
"Shouldn't be walking around after dark, sweetheart. You never know what kind of people could be out." One of the men called, Tiana pushing her headphones back to rest on her shoulders.
"That's exactly right. That's why I'm on my way home, monsieur. You three should think to do so as well." Tiana replied with a kind smile, but Chat could only stare at her in astonishment for the undertone of snip that he's learned to spot. Why would she say that to three men who could easily hurt her if they wanted to?
The men even laughed at her comment, but she just turned on her heel and kept walking, uninterested. The biggest guy of the three noticed first, following right after her once more.
"We can handle ourselves just fine, chéri. We'll be more than helpful and take you home, even." The man said, coming up beside her as his lackeys fell right in behind Tiana.
"No thank you." Tiana replied simply, Chat following them at a distance from behind after dropping down to the street. He had to bite his tongue to fight the noises of disbelief at how she talked to three obviously intimidating men to a young women like herself.
"Well think of it as happening anyways, it's not an offer." The biggest man replied back without a laugh at her response to their presence this time.
"Well, think of it as I am kindly refusing your determination to do so." Tiana said back with the same undertone of snip she had used before. The men must have noticed now, as they tensed while following after her.
"And what makes you think you can just refuse us?" The man asked threateningly, Chat striding up as the noticed the other two men grabbing for something on their belts.
"Because I'm not afraid of you." Tiana said simply, continuing to walk even as the men growled with annoyance at how she rebuffed them so easily.
Chat would be scoffing at her behavior as well, if not for the fact that he needed to protect her from these guys.
When one of them pulled a knife from his pocket, he didn't hesitate and quickly grabbed his wrist and twisted, forcing the weapon from the guys hand as he yowled in surprise. With a kick, the knife was sent skittering towards the gutter. Hopefully down the drain, as far as he cared.
Upon releasing the man's wrist, he stumbled back into his friend, their bigger friend rounding to spot him finally. "Gentlemen, the lady thanked you for your offer, but she won't be needing your escort tonight." Chat reminded them of his brave friends denial as he leaned on his baton, leveling a warning glare in his eyes but a cheeky smile over how he already disarmed one of them.
"This isn't your concern, Chat Noir. Go back to fighting the villains and leave us alone." The leader of the brutes snarled at him, Chat openly laughing at the remark.
"That's exactly what I'm doing right now." Chat pointed out, dodging to the side as one of them tried to swing a fat fist towards him. Grabbing his wrist, he flipped him over his shoulder. With a sickening smack, he hit the ground hard.
When another charged at him, he swung his staff at him. With an grunt as it caught him in the stomach, the man was sent backwards as he extended his staff, shoving him back into his bulkier friend.
Retracting his staff again, he dashed at them himself this time.
When the big man himself pulled out a large knife, he swung his staff at it and sent it flying wherever, pivoting and slamming his knee into the man's rib cage. Even being much bigger than him, the man stumbled and gasped at the hit.
The other two tried to grab for him, only for a loud bark to break the air. With a loud yell, one of them was dragged backwards.
Shifting his gaze quickly, he spotted Tiana's guard dog latching on to the man he had thrown. The dogs teeth were clamped down on the back of his thigh, dragging him down to the ground like he was a toy and holding firm. "GET IT OFF ME!"
"Well I did tell you I didn't need your assistance." Tiana remarked, standing a few feet back as Chat sent a kick to the big guys stomach when he tried to charge at Tiana.
With a loud yell and smack of flesh on flesh, he tumbled into the other man and they then fell atop their friend who was pinned by the dog.
Blinking, Chat grinned at the scene as the dog retreated to Tiana's side, still growling in warning at the three brutes that had threatened her. He hadn't even seen the dog when he first saw her walking, how could it just come out of nowhere when she's in danger?
"I think you've learned not to prey on innocent women now, gentlemen. Just remember next time you consider assaulting another lady of Paris that Ladybug and I are always watching." Chat reminded the men, before trotting after Tiana as he watched her continue walking away with her dog.
"Good job, King." Chat smiled a little wider as he heard the praise for the dog that she walked with, coming up to pace with her.
"Mademoiselle, I'll be more than happy to escort you the rest of the way home so you won't have to worry about further dangers tonight." Chat offered, bowing to her as Tiana halted in her steps.
"No thank you, I'm fine." Tiana thanked, Chat blinking at the lack of hesitation she took to refuse him. She...was definitely something. He honestly had no words to describe his still somewhat new friend at the moment.
"Please, ma chéri, humor me. I know your dog is more than capable of protecting you, but I'd feel much better seeing to your escort myself." Chat offered once more, grinning charmingly at her to see her eyeing him carefully.
Puffing his chest out, he extended a hand to her as he swelled with pride at knowing he finally drew her attention.
"Chat Noir, my lady. I've never seen your purretty face around our lovely city, allow me the honor of helping you home now." Chat purred, pressing a chaste kiss to the back of her hand as she shook his own, continuing to grin as she retracted her hand. That has to be the first time a girl, other maybe Chloe, has willingly allowed him to kiss her hand.
"I know who you are." Tiana replied with a shrug, continuing to walk with King. She didn't openly refuse him this time, so he followed along after her. Watching the dog to make sure it wouldn't attack him, he saw a hard glare on the animals face that nearly made him falter in his step.
"Ah, so my fame purrecedes me then. Are you one of my lovely fans?" Chat asked, moving to her other side so he could be further away from the guard dog.
"Well I wouldn't say that." Tiana mused, Chat's ears flattening against his head at how she was so open that she didn't even hesitate to jab his ego. "But, I do find kitties almost as adorable as my dogs." Tiana chirped, turning to him with a smile that made him swell once again with feeling.
He watched as she reached a hand up with no hesitation and ruffled his hair, fighting off a blush of embarrassment as not many civilians actually touched him. As she pulled her hand away from his head, she flicked the bell on his collar, the ring almost matching her giggle as she continued walking.
It took him a second to realize he had stopped walking at her touch, following after her once more as he found his curiosity rising ever higher for the girl. She was so much different than anyone else he has ever met...
Taking a second to clear his thoughts, Chat noticed they were coming up to a large estate. Come to think of it, they were on a side of town that he didn't frequent typically. Usually he came round here only while on patrol.
Well, he's learning more about her at least. Though, he can't really tell her as Adrien why he knows where she lives.
"So why were you out walking around in the night, my lady? I'd hope you know it's not safe for a lady like yourself to be out after dark alone." Chat said as the dog trotted off ahead of them and up to the estate, solidifying his guess that this was Tiana's home.
"Well I wasn't exactly alone, I had my guard dog nearby. He'll hopefully leave that man with a scar to remember why to not underestimate a women just because she seems defenseless." Tiana said with another cute giggle that, surprisingly, made him want to hear more of her laughter.
It also made him a little fearful, however. As he could only wonder if King was her only guard dog. Just from seeing the hostility in the dogs eyes though for those thugs though, he knew never to get on that dogs bad side.
"That's beside the point, ma chér. I won't deny, your dog is a fearsome foe for any man who dares to threaten you, but you shouldn't be out alone after dark like this." Chat reminded, as though she didn't know him as Chat, he knew her. He could only wonder how many people would want to do her harm just because of who her father was.
"You sound like my father." Tiana muttered quietly, probably hoping he wouldn't hear her. But he was a cat, after all. He had amazing hearing. Definitely proven by Rogue Wolf's weapon on him.
"Your parents care about your safety, mademoiselle. Next time you might not be so lucky as to have me here to help you." Chat said while propping his arms on his hips, flexing them slightly as Tiana looked at him incredulously.
"Are you just waiting for me to thank you for helping me, is that why you're lecturing me?" Tiana asked, smiling right back at him as he tried to hold back the want to mock her. He couldn't risk her putting two and two together.
"No, but that would be nice to hear from mew." Chat purred, leaning closer to her with a charming smile before realizing they had come to a stop in front of the large wrought iron gate that King had gone through minutes before.
"Well, furgive me for not thanking you then, Chat Noir." Tiana said back, and his grin only grew at how she returned a pun of her own to his. Who was this women? There was so much to her.
"Purrhaps, if you promise to be more careful." Chat offered, leaning a little closer to her as she giggled again. A warmth came over her as he only watched while she laughed. The way her nose would scrunch up cutely as she laughed at him.
"Sorry, but that I can't promise. I know you don't know me, but I'm known for getting myself into mischief. Just ask my grandfather." Tiana said with a lopsided smile, before it faded when there was a slam from inside the exterior wall of her estate.
"You were supposed to call for me to come pick you up, not walk home at night." Chat turned to see the bulky man that Tiana called her bodyguard stomping down the short distance between the gate and the mansion. Beside him, walking in a languid stroll was her grandfather.
"Beau, she's perfectly capable of defending herself. That's what King is for as well though. Also, this young man." Bastien waved a cane he had never seen him walk with before towards him, Chat about to make his retreat into the night but wanting to at least get a goodbye in before he does.
"Your daughter pays me to watch the girl, not sit and babysit some mutt." Beau retorted, showing no respect whatsoever for the man who could probably break even him. There was a reason that Chat had a healthy fear for his instructor, after all.
"Instead of arguing, can you just acknowledge that I'm home and I'm safe and leave it at that?" Tiana asked, shifting a tired gaze between her bodyguard and her grandfather that made him frown a little. Was this the kind of thing she had to deal with in her home life?
Beau opened his mouth to reply again, but he stepped in this time. "Please, sir. She's home safe and sound. Just be happy that she's home instead of yelling at her for wanting to walk home on a nice night like tonight." Chat defended Tiana, stepping between her and the large bodyguard.
Beau looked down at him incredulously for a moment, before huffing and going back up to the mansion.
Once the door slammed behind him, he looked to the happily smiling man that Tiana seemed to idolize. "Thank you, Chat Noir, for escorting my grand daughter home tonight. Not only that, but defending her against that...lovely man." Bastien waved his cane in the direction of the door with his sarcastic remark. Chat laughed at the sarcasm, used to Bastien being happy but serious most of the time.
He could only wonder how Bastien would feel if he knew just why he escorted Tiana home tonight.
"I'll be inside in a minute, Grand-père." Tiana assured her grandfather, who laughed before turning around and returning to the mansion himself. "Sorry for, that." Tiana waved a hand in the direction that the two men had retreated to. He could see a lot of her grandfather in her with how she talked with her hands like he did.
Laughing again, he turned his full attention to her once more. "They worry, it's fine. You're home safe, that's all I care about." Chat pointed out, bowing to her with a flourish. "At that, I should go so that you can go inside before the big burly one comes out again." Chat said with a nod of his head towards the door.
Tiana rolled her eyes at the comment, gracing him with another giggle that he started to feel bad for wanting to hear more of. As she laughed at him, he could almost see Ladybug and her rare laughter at his antics.
"Thank you, for walking me home, Chat Noir." Tiana thanked him finally for his assistance, and he bowed once more to her, not feeling he needed to remind that it was his job.
"Try to keep yourself out of trouble, Purrincess." Chat teased with a cheeky grin, leaning a little closer as he spotted the way her eyes lit up at the nickname. "I won't mind being your knight in shining armor, but I'd prefer you stay safe." Chat purred, taking a moment to take in the way her sky blue eyes glowed in the dim lights that lit the streets for them.
No, bad Chat.
Standing straight once again, he was about to make his leave when Tiana drew him in one last time.
"Sorry to disappoint, Chat Noir, but trouble follows me. Might have to keep an eye on me. Bonne nuit, knight in kitty armor." Tiana chirped back to him, smiling one last time at him before heading through the wrought iron gates and up to the door.
Chat was still stood there long past the point where the gates slammed shut, only able to think about her words. The way that she could talk so easily and teasingly with someone whom, as far as she knew, she didn't know.
But not only that, he could only think about the way his pulse raced a little faster at her comment about needing to keep an eye on her. He had to shake his head to clear his thoughts, knowing he needed to get home before he de-transformed.
Vaulting home, a wave of guilt hit him as he thought about how he couldn't help his curiosity. He was in love with Ladybug, she deserved all his curiosity and attention.
But he couldn't help admit that Tiana was starting to make him think a little more on his relationship with his Lady.
There is the first encounter between Chat and Tiana not in costume then! I must admit, I really enjoyed this chapter. I'm my biggest critic about fight scenes, because it's harder to write. But the whole Chat and Tiana thing worked out better than I thought it was going to.
Also the Adrien-Chloe scene. Wish I could go a little more in depth there, but I only have so much space in each chapter.
Anyways, we're already on chapter ten! It feels like I only just started this story! I'm so happy to see how more people keep favoriting the story and the views keep going up and up. It makes it worth it knowing you guys are loving it as much as I am writing it.
Btw, can I just mention that I really want those headphones? Almost a hundred dollars off Amazon, I know what I'm saving up for next. But anyways, I'm gonna get back to writing, so I'll see you all next chapter!