Chapter Fourteen

Marinette hadn't been able to wipe the smile off her face all afternoon. Mini Chat Noir had been too adorable for words. Even now she found herself replaying the clip of toddler Chat rubbing his cute little cheek against her as Ladybug while he purred like a real kitten. It had been so endearing to see him that way and all she wanted to do was take him home and cuddle up on the lounge with him to watch TV.

For an hour she and Alya had gushed about the cuteness of tiny Chat. Only now after dinner did she return to her room to get some sewing done. But the corner of the Trouble board game box caught her eye and again she grinned. She couldn't wait to see Chat Noir, no doubt he'd grumble at her teasing as Marinette but still it would be fun.

Letting out a happy sigh, the girl remembered that she hadn't watered her plants. With the light fading fast she filled her watering can and climbed to her rooftop balcony with methodical slowness, making sure she didn't spill a drop. It wasn't until she placed the watering can outside that she heard faint snoring. Pulling herself up, Marinette smiled when she found Chat Noir fast asleep in her foldout chair.

As quietly as possible, she watered her plants and when it was done she placed her watering can on the ground and padded over to her partner. A lock of blonde hair was laying against Chat Noir's masked nose and every so often he's screw up his face as a stray hair tickled his nostril.

Marinette noticed that the offending hair was actually loose. With careful fingers she snagged it and gently tugged it away. As luck would have it, Chat Noir inhaled sharply and began to snort as the end of the hair was sucked up his nose. His eyes snapped open as he lifted his arm and rubbed rapidly at his nose with the back of his hand.

"Hey there!" She squeaked as she noticed how close she was to him and pulled back as if yanked by a rope.

"Hey," he said warily as he continued to watch her. "What were you doing to my nose?"

She lifted the hair that was still held between her thumb and forefinger. "You had a loose hair that was threatening to wake you up and I tried to remove it."

"Oh, thanks." The suspicion drained from his eyes and his face relaxed into a more placid expression.

"What are you doing here?"

Chat Noir's face turned briefly away before he looked at her, his eyebrows dropped down at the edges of his mask. "I wanted to get away from the fiasco that is toddler Chat Noir."

"But why? You were so cute."

He firmly crossed his arms and turned away from her. "Not you too."

"Chat, everyone loved it."

"I didn't." He growled as he shifted in the chair, attempting to put more space between them.

The smile left Marinette's face. "Are you upset?"

"I'm not crying if that's what you're asking. I'm pissed off."

"But why?"

He rolled over to face her, now lying on his side in the chair. "I'm a joke, Marinette. Chat Noir is nothing but Ladybug's fool of a partner. She gets loads of respect and admiration while I get treated like the comic relief. Today I realised that I'm never going to win over Ladybug because she only sees me as clown."

Marinette frowned as she considered his claim. Unfortunately, he was right to a degree. As Ladybug she often dismissed his antics as she chalked it up to his immaturity. Still, she needed to reassure him with the aspects he was leaving out. "Chat, you're wrong. You are important. You're an amazing fighter and brazenly confident to the point that your self-assurance makes up for the times when Ladybug doubts herself. As a team you complement each other, where one lacks the other steps up."

"They're very pretty words Marinette, but I'd be more convinced if they came from Ladybug."

She laid a hand on his arm, her mouth opening as she considered telling him the truth but Hawkmoth was a very real threat. It wasn't the right time to be disclosing her secret identity to her partner. "I believe in you, Chat. You've been the one to rescue me on a number of occasions."

A gradual nod came with begrudging acceptance of her claim. "Yeah that's true."

"I would have been in a lot of trouble without you, Chat."

His lips quirked up at her pun. "Be glad I keep my head in the game."

Marinette sniggered. "That was terrible."

"Well, I considered working 'board' into a pun but that seemed lame."

"Aren't all puns lame?"

"Blasphemy, woman. This might mean the end of our friendship." He mocked with a smile.

She trailed a lazy fingertip from the top of his jaw down to his chin. "Then I take it back. Friends?"

Chat Noir's eyes darkened and her heart leapt in response. "Friends," he confirmed.

"Good." She said as she tapped her finger to his lips and prepared to straighten up.

He caught her hand and laced his fingers through hers. "Marinette, as a friend do you think there's any hope that I'll ever win Ladybug's heart? I'm starting to believe it's a lost cause."

Marinette dropped down beside him and tucked her knees under her chin. Up until recently she would have said that Ladybug's interest in him was purely platonic and would always remain that way. But now things were different. Adrien was out of the picture for her romantically and Chat Noir was turning out to be a much more complex individual than she'd first thought. She was silent for so long that Chat Noir let out a hopeless sigh beside her.

"I'm sorry, Chat. I really don't know. Ladybug prides herself on being a professional." What else could she say without revealing that she knew far more about the Parisian heroine than she should.

His fingers squeezed hers briefly then he let her hand go. "Sometimes I feel so alone."

"Why is that?"

"My family life is rather strained. Love isn't something that's expressed freely. There are certain expectations I'm required to meet. My whole life has been mapped out without my input and some days I feel so trapped I want to scream. Being Chat Noir is my escape, the one area of my life where I make the decisions, where I'm free to be silly and crazy without repercussions and reprimands." He let out a shuddering breath, "It's why it hurts so much to know that Ladybug isn't interested in me, because she's the one person I can truly be myself with."

Marinette felt her own chin wobble and her eyes fill with tears at this peek into Chat Noir's psyche. It was no wonder that he was so determined to win her affirmation as Ladybug. She placed her hand on his arm, drawing his gaze back to hers. "I'm here for you, Chat. You can be yourself with me."

His expression softened and his finger lifted as he caught one of her tears on his knuckle. "You're crying for me?" he asked with quiet wonder.

"Yes," she sobbed. "I had no idea that you're miserable."

A melancholy smile tugged briefly at his lips. "It's not all bad. I could be in a lot worse situation."

"And yet you bring trouble to my house too," she teased lightly with a tight smile.

"Yes, I did. How about I take it off your hands."

"Only if you promise to bring back another game. I didn't really get to play this one with you."

"No, you played it with your family. That's important too." Warmth radiated from his gaze. "Come here," he said as he reached for her elbow, bringing her to sit on his lap.

She blinked with uncertainty. "What are you doing?"

"I'm comforting my friend since I made her cry."

Marinette looped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her forehead to his temple. "I should be comforting you."

"Knowing you care is comfort enough. Thanks Marinette, I can't express how much this means to me. To know that someone understands."

They sat curled together until light faded completely from the sky. The chill to the air had Marinette shivering and Chat Noir tightened his embrace. "Cold?" he asked as he rubbed her nearest arm.

"Yeah, I should head back inside."

He let out a sigh and his cat ears drooped. "I don't want to go."

"Do you want to come inside? You need to pick up Trouble anyway."

"What is this fixation on me and trouble?" he said with a sarcastic tsk-tsk.

"They go hand-in-hand," she teased as she led him inside.

Chat Noir shrugged. "I blame it on akumas."

Marinette chuckled as she picked up the board game and handed it to him. Chat Noir placed his hands on top and redirected her to put it back on the desk. "I don't have my satchel bag with me. How about you look after this for me until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"I've got patrol tomorrow so I can visit you after."

Panic began to set in for Marinette. The more times he visited after patrol the more likely it was the he'd come across her as Ladybug trying to get home to transform prior to his arrival. She needed a way to put him off. "Won't Ladybug begin asking about your secret bag?"

Chat Noir frowned. "Yeah, she's already curious."

"What are you going to say? Wouldn't it be easier to come when you're not needing to patrol?" She neared him and eyed his armpits. "Also, you won't be so sweaty."

He looked offended. "Are you saying I stink after patrol?"

"No but racing around Paris has got to be sweaty work."

"Look, I don't think I can afford to be sneaking out any more than I already do. How about this, I'll go home and shower after patrol to ensure my scent isn't offensive to your delicate nose."

Marinette grinned, this would be ideal. It meant she could get home well before him. "Sounds like a deal," she held out her hand to shake.

Chat Noir eyed her hand mischievously, shook it once than turned it so he could kiss the back of her hand. "Deal. But you do realise that I'll be lathering myself in cologne."

I wonder if Perfume Le Chat will be the next product in Gabriel's spring line :P

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