~Chat gets Mari to admit she wants Chat and the guy under the mask, even if she doesn't know him outside of the super hero costume~

Maybe you'll see things my way

'Fore we get to Grandma's place

Monday morning Adrien couldn't take his eyes off of Marinette. He didn't say anything more than usual because he didn't want to confuse her, but he was taking a closer look at the girl. How had he missed her before? How had he not seen the shy smiles directed at him? How had he lost so much time not being better friends with her sooner? Ugh. Adrien totally didn't deserve to be with Marinette. Good thing Chat hadn't missed the boat on that one.

Tuesday there was an akuma in the afternoon and the fight lasted well into the night as it ranged all over Paris. Chat and Ladybug had agreed that any days where there were akumas, patrols were cancelled. Adding to his frustration was the fact that Adrien still had homework to finish and he was so tired that he wasn't sure he'd be able to cross the room let alone the city, he couldn't visit Marinette on Tuesday.

Wednesday Adrien had a photoshoot all day and then there was a scheduled dinner with his father and an important client. And once again he had homework on top of his extra tutoring, so Wednesday wasn't a day he could see Marinette.

Thursday night he could only glance toward Marinette's dark window as he and Ladybug chased down an irate waiter that had been yelled at one too many times tonight.

Friday night he and Nino had planned to meet up with Alya and Marinette, but only Alya had showed up. When Nino asked where Mari was, Alya had said that Marinette was helping her parents work on a wedding cake for a family friend and couldn't come. Adrien considered ditching the other two, but he had missed spending time with them. So he stayed and Chat was again unable to visit Marinette.

Adrien had practically begged Nathalie to clear his Saturday, and the woman had done her best, but there were some obligations she couldn't get him out of, though she had been able to move them into his morning hours. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that Chat could be seen sprinting across the rooftops of Paris. He came to a sudden stop on the top of the bakery.

He'd been so eager to see Marinette that he hadn't thought how it would feel to actually be seeing her again. What if she decided she really wanted Adrien instead? It would kill him if she did, but that's still him right? So there's no way for him to lose here, right? Why did that not feel right? Chat tried to calm his thoughts and gently tapped on the skylight's glass.

"It's open!"

Chat was able to get into Marinette's room without stepping on her bed. He was something of an expert in the maneuver by now.

Chat stood and was stunned for a moment. Mari's smile when she saw him was breathtaking and he couldn't move as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a pink tank top with black cats stitched along the hem covered with a black cardigan sporting pink paw prints up one sleeve and across the shoulder. Her black skirt stopped just above her knees showing off the black cat decorated tights, and the black ballet flats she was wearing also sported pink bows. The greatest difference in Marinette's appearance was that her hair wasn't pulled back in twin tails, but hung loose, held back with a headband with soft, fuzzy black cat ears attached.

"G-good evening, Princess," he managed to stutter.

"Chat!" Marinette ran and enveloped the boy in a crushing hug. "I've missed you," she said quietly as she held onto him.

He hugged her back. Gently stroking her hair he murmured, "I've missed you, too Mari."

They stood this way for some time just enjoying each other's presence with no need to talk.

Eventually Mari moved back so that she could look at Chat. She reached up a hand to caress Chat's face, but stopped short of actually touching him.

"Is it okay if I..?" Marinette's voice trailed off.

Chat just put his cheek into her palm and nuzzled it a bit.

"A week has never seemed so long," Chat groaned into her hand. When Marinette laughed he looked and saw her smiling once again at him.

"Truer words have never been spoken," she said. "Let's sit down for a bit and just enjoy the quiet," she suggested.

Chat nodded and then joined Marinette on her chaise.

"I like your outfit, Mari," he said as he wrapped one arm around her and pulled her closer into his side.

"Thank you," Marinette said with a chuckle. "It's inspired by my favorite superhero."

"Oh?" Chat said in mock surprise. "And who might that be?"

Marinette nudged him with her shoulder. "Surely you've heard of the great Chat Noir. Savior of Paris? Partner with Ladybug? Famous for leaping across the rooftops of Paris in skin-tight black leather," she grinned again at him. "Does any of that sound familiar?"

"Vaguely familiar," Chat conceded as he pretended to think hard.

"Chat Noir, good with kids and kittens?"

"Nope, you lost me on that one."

"Chat is devastatingly handsome and entirely too humble," she said as she moved onto his lap. "He's sometimes accused of being a flirt, but he's really just a gentleman and people have forgotten what that looks like. I've never seen him give an insincere compliment."

Chat just shook his head, "Nope, I'm sure I would have heard of that."

"Monsieur Noir is good at out running akuma butterflies and tieing knots on scarves," Marinette thought back, "And he's got a way with applying eyeliner and making a girl feel like the most beautiful woman in the world."

"But you are the most beautiful-" he was cut off by a finger being placed over his lips.

"What if I mentioned he happens to be one of my very best friends?" She picked up the hand not cradling her side and wrapped it around her waist. "Does that jog any memories?"

"I'm beginning to think that he sounds like someone I've heard of," he was now gazing into those startling blue eyes.

Marinette laced her hands behind Chat's neck. "What if I told you that he is the only man in all of Paris, all of France, even all the world that I want to kiss me?"

Chat's breath caught in his throat. "Do you mean that Marinette?" he whispered.

"I do."

Immediately Chat was pressing his lips to Marinette's. The kiss started slowly, tender at first, but their caresses began to be more heated, more passionate. Finally Chat broke their connection.

"I'd have to say that Chat Noir must be the luckiest person in the world."

"Oh no," Marinette said as she leaned back in to kiss him again, "that would be me."

Later, as they sat cuddled together watching a movie on Marinette's computer, Chat asked the question that had been at the front of his mind.

"What about Adrien?"

Marinette looked up at him in confusion. "What about him?"

"Are you," he gulped, "Are you sure you want to choose me over him?"

Marinette turned fully toward him. "Listen Chat, he's my friend, and he'll always have a special place in my memory as my first real, full-blown crush, but you," she put a hand up to cradle his face, "you are my first real love." She kissed his cheek. "I've thought a lot about this all week, and you, you have held that place in my heart for a long time now." She kissed his cheek again. "Mutual love and respect are so much better than one-sided pining."

"Oh, thank God," Chat said as he rested his forehead against hers. "I spent the whole week coming up with a presentation that compared Adrien and me, and I couldn't find a good reason for you to not choose him."

"Chat," Marinette looked horror struck, "how dare you say that?" She held his face in both her hands. "You are kind, intelligent, resourceful, considerate, handsome, sweet, and funny. You are a match for Adrien any day, my love." She gave him a quick peck on his forehead. "I love you my silly kitty."

"And I love you, my Princess." Chat leaned in and captured her lips once again.

They were back in Marinette's room after having dinner with Tom and Sabine, who had been overjoyed to find out Chat and Marinette were officially dating. They had laughed when Mari told them, saying they had been under the impression there was such a relationship between them for some time now. Marinette had blushed and Chat had been speechless.

They were snuggling together on the chaise when a thought hit Marinette.

"Did you really make a presentation Chat, or was that just you being dramatic?"

"Me? Dramatic?" he said as he feigned a swoon. "How could you say such a thing?" He booped her nose before continuing, "Oh, I made the presentation, Mari," his face completely serious. "I scoured every teen magazine's on-line archives and all the Ladyblog's articles to get information on Adrien and me." He gave a slight shudder. "That is an experience I will never do again." He gave her a quick squeeze. "I made sure to include illustrations, charts, the whole ball of yarn." He nuzzled the side of her face.

"But…" she was at a loss for words, "Why?"

"I wanted you to see that there are other options, better options, out there for you," he said quietly.

She couldn't have that! "Chat Marvolo Noir! I did not just hear you say that there is anyone better for me than you." She sat up and turned so that they were face to face. "After all the time I've spent talking with you, all the time we've played games, and cooked, and, and made fun of old movies together. How can you still think that I haven't looked over my options and chosen you? That I don't know how well your strengths balance out my weaknesses. That I haven't seen and felt how much better my life is with you in it. I don't know what I have to do to convince you that you are the best person to be by my side, but I'm going to spend every day from now on to show you that you are that person."

Chat sat looking at her in stunned silence.

"Did...did you just call me the dark lord?" he asked slowly.

Marinette gave an exasperated sigh, "It seemed appropriate at the time. Did you hear anything else I said?"

Chat nodded. "It's just that I've never thought of myself as a death eater."

"Chaaaaaat," Marinette said, "You are not a death eater. In fact, you are quite the opposite. You are full of life and laughter. You have such compassion for others and patience with me that I am constantly amazed that you really exist." She snuggled into his embrace. "Please, please believe me when I say that you are the greatest, and I don't want to be with anyone else."

"Marinette," Chat said quietly, "I believe you, but you don't know me. Or you don't know all of me," he rested his chin on her head. "You don't know who is under this mask, or what I do when I'm not wearing this suit, or what my family is like and if you like them at all. Do you know how much danger you'll be in if anyone finds out that I care this much for you?"

"Firstly, it doesn't matter who you are without that mask, you are still you to the core, and that is who I love." She kissed his cheek with several light kisses. "Secondly, I can't believe that anyone who is an awful person would be entrusted with your miraculous, so you're stuck with me believing that you are just as awesome outside of the suit as you are wearing it." She paused to nibble along his ear, "What number am I on?"

"Three," Chat supplied helpfully though he had to think hard about the question.

"Thank you," she said nuzzling his neck. "Thirdly, your family is a bridge we'll have to cross once I'm allowed to know who you are. I love you, and if they can't accept that, they will just have to get over it!"

Chat was taken by surprise with how fierce she was while saying that. "What about number four?" he asked as he melted under her ministrations.

"Number four?" She kissed his nose. " … Fourthly, is that even a word?" She pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Well fourthly, I will be in danger as long as Hawkmoth is attacking Paris, so I refuse to allow him to keep me from loving you! I am going to love you Chat, danger or no. You might as well accept it," she kissed along his jaw, "I'm yours until.. Until… until you don't want me anymore."

He couldn't have that! He pressed his lips to hers hoping to convey in this one gesture just how much he cared for her, how long he'd loved her, and that he would always want her. She was smiling when he pulled away. Message received.

"So you're saying that you don't care who I am under this mask?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"No matter who I may be?"

"Yes, Chat."

"It doesn't matter how poor or ignorant I am outside of this mask?"

"Well we both know that you have gained some skill with chopping vegetables so you could always work in a kitchen," Marinette teased.

"Or how rich and snobby my family is?"

"I love you Chat, no matter who you are, no matter what your family is like, no matter what!"

"What if I am really Chloe Bourgeois?"

The look of horror that crossed Marinette's face was priceless, and Chat began to laugh. The horror was quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Then I'd have to say that Chloe's kisses almost make up for how horribly she behaves outside of the mask."

Chat's face began to burn with a blush, and Marinette began to laugh.

"What if I'm really Adrien?" he asked quietly.

Marinette snorted. "What if I'm really Ladybug?" She gave the blond headed boy another kiss.

"If you were Ladybug then I'd say I was truly the luckiest man in the world to have fallen for you twice," he breathed into her ear.

"I thought I told you," Marinette whispered against his lips, "loving you means I'm the luckiest person in the world."