Adrien checked the time on his phone for the umpteenth time that class alone. In the background he could hear snickering, recognizing that devious sound without even having to look back.
He hasn't had a chance to hang out with her much since they last played video games together, but he's found himself staring at the little kitten icon on his phone screen at times.
It didn't take him long into them playing that he realized they were basically cuddled up together on the couch while playing. He felt like his face was never going to stop burning just at realizing she had been laying her head on his shoulder and he hadn't realized it for a while.
How had they been so comfortable together that he hadn't even realized? He's never been that close to anyone before, and yet he didn't notice? Why?
They haven't even talked much since then. For a day he thought he upset her, before remembering that she had rehearsals from the moment school ended until midnight. He felt bad for her, but looking at her she seemed fine. It didn't look like it was taking too much out of her.
Obviously if she's able to laugh and joke around in the back with Nathaniel during their last class.
He checked his phone again for the time. His bodyguard was picking him up right after school to go get fitted for a suit, by Father's orders. The performance was tomorrow and the ball right after, so Adrien was a little surprised by how close this was being cut.
At least he had his outfit for the actual event already picked out and set aside for tomorrow. At least for the last day of class today he was able to just dress casual.
There were other classmates also laughing and just enjoying the relaxed final class of their year before they go onto their final year next year. Himself though, he was just more focused on the time so he wouldn't be late to his fitting.
"Dude, come on. It's the last day, have some fun with us." Nino said as he jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow. "Even Miss. Bustier is having more fun than you." Nino teased as he pointed to their teacher who was taking pictures with Marinette, Rose, Alya and Juleka.
"I need to leave right away, Nino. I'm just trying to make sure I'm not late for my fitting." Adrien reminded him, before arms suddenly slung over his shoulders and hands pressed against his chest.
"Adrikins, we're going to the ball tomorrow night together, right? You can't just let me go alone." Chloe said as she hugged herself close to him and smiled widely down at him once he looked back at her.
"Aren't you being escorted by your father?" Nino asked before Adrien could say a thing, which earned him a sharp glare from the blond girl hugging onto his shoulders.
"Everyone who's anyone is going tomorrow, and we both need a date. So you can take me." Chloe said to him like he didn't have much choice in the matter.
Except he did have a date, he just wasn't spreading the news around. "I'm already going with someone, Chloe. I'm sorry we-" Adrien cut short when after taking her hands away from his shoulders she slammed them down on the table in front of him.
"What do you mean you have a date?" Chloe demanded angrily, Adrien almost scared for a second before remembering this was Chloe. She was bark, not bite.
His eyes subconsciously went towards Marinette where she had paused in taking pictures of Alya with Miss Bustier. That was the wrong move, as Chloe's gaze followed towards Marinette.
When she looked back his way again, her cheeks were puffed out and red and he thought she was about to have a fit. But after taking a deep breath, she stepped away from his table and brushed aside a stray strand of her hair from her eyes and walked back to her chair.
She sat down with her back to him and he was more startled by the silent treatment than he would have been had she blown up like she usually would.
"That's more scary than her screaming." Nino whispered to him as they both looked at the now pouting girl in the seat across the isle from them.
She stayed like that until the class was dismissed, leaving without saying anything to any of them or even Sabrina. "I will see you all next year!" Miss Bustier chimed from the front of the room as Adrien stood from his table to leave and get his fitting started.
"Dude, you're Pop's still letting you come Saturday right?" Nino asked as they headed out the door right behind all the girls who were laughing and talking happily.
"Yes, as long as I don't leave before noon. He wants me to practice for two hours." Adrien revealed, Nino shaking his head beside him.
"It's the first day of summer, dude. Your dad needs to lighten up." Nino said as they headed towards the front doors. Walking out, he noticed not only his own car and driver but two others.
Not to mention the plethora of people snapping pictures from the streets. Great, this will be a long day.
But then he realized the cameras weren't aimed at him for once, but at a blonde guy wearing sunglasses and a suit leaning against one of the three cars.
The doors banged open behind himself and Nino again before the girls finally all filed out. There was a squeal and he swore he heard Rose say something about a prince before he noticed Tiana step up beside him.
"I'll see you in a little while, Lover Boy. I have to go make sure the dress your father made for tomorrow fits." Tiana said with a warm smile before her eyes drifted away from him and down the steps.
A look of shock came over her face before he followed her gaze to the guy leaning against the car.
"Well hello to you too, Princess!" The guy spoke up with a jovial tone before stepping away from the car and lifting the sunglasses from his eyes.
Before he could even begin to wonder who this guy was talking to, Tiana suddenly shot down the steps and with a squeal he hasn't heard her make before leaped off of the last few steps and into the guys now open arms.
What...what is happening?
Adrien's chest felt heavy as he watched her hug this guy and him spin on the spot before putting her back down. He was grinning brightly down at her, but her back was to him and he couldn't see her own face.
Rose's voice suddenly broke his thoughts and staring when she let out a squeal of, "That's Prince Martinus Rey!" The cameras of the people around the area were flashing quickly as the paparazzi took pictures of now not only this Martinus guy but Tiana too.
"Dude, Tiana knows a prince? I've never heard her mention this guy." Nino spoke up next, before Alya snorted beside him as well.
"I feel like I should be offended that she kept from me that her best friend is actually a famous Prince." Wait, best friend? "Mari, now we know why she never told us his last name." Alya leaned an arm on Marinette's shoulder with that comment.
Is this the guy that Tiana had said had been her only friend before moving here to Paris? Why hadn't she mentioned more about him to her, and why did he physically feel his stomach drop a little at acknowledging this guy as her best friend?
Biggest question, why was it okay for this guy to call her Princess but he wasn't allowed to?
Adrien felt an elbow in his ribs before looking at Nino, rolling his eyes at the smirk his best friend had before he heard the Gorilla grunt at him from down the steps. "I have to go, I'll see you all tomorrow." Adrien said before starting down the steps towards his car.
Also towards the duo that was still standing extremely close to one another and laughing.
As he passed them to get in the now open car door, he barely caught Tiana's eye before the Gorilla shut the door and walked around to the driver side.
She said he'd see her later since she had to come make sure her dress for tomorrow fits, so he would talk to her then about this Prince. He just really hoped the guy didn't follow her along to the fitting.
Due to the fact that Father was the main designer for most of the costumes for the play, he wasn't surprised when they pulled up at the theater. He should have known Father would already be here since he wants to make as big an impression as Tiana's Mother does.
The Gorilla grunted at most of the people in his way as he lead Adrien into the building and towards the back where he no doubt would be having the fitting done.
He had to admit though, looking at the costumes of some of the passing actors and actresses, his Father did amazing. No wonder he's been working so much with Tiana's Mother.
Entering one of the many changing rooms, the Gorilla stood outside the door as his guard as usual as he was greeted by a short white haired man he's never met before in all his years modeling for Father. "Come, let's get you fitted. Mr. Gabriel will be by shortly to ensure it's correct." The little man said as he waved him towards a separate room he assumed had the suit.
He hasn't even seen it himself yet, but after looking at it for a minute or two he realized Father tailored it to no longer make him look boyish. This time, it looked much more mature for him.
Maybe Father was finally starting to acknowledge him as about to become an adult.
"Why do you have to get all fancy? It's just a dance." Plagg muttered as he changed, hiding in his day clothes that now laid on a nearby chair.
"It's a masquerade ball, Plagg." Adrien corrected him, before realizing that there wasn't a mask to go along with the suit. Where was that?
There was a twinge of nervousness in him about wearing a mask, because he didn't want people to put two and two together that he looked like one of the masked hero's of Paris. But he kept reminding himself that his appearance was different as Chat than as Adrien, so that should help.
"Are you worried about the mask thing again?" Plagg asked as he fixed the cuffs of his jacket, smoothing the fabric down against his sides to see if it fit right.
"A little." Adrien admitted to the ancient cat.
"Don't be. We Kwami's got little tricks up our sleeves to make sure you kids don't ruin everything by accidentally giving away who you are. Besides, you look a lot more wild as Chat than you do right now." Plagg pointed out as he popped out of his t-shirt and pointed a little paw at his neat hair.
Adrien went to open his mouth and say something when there was a knock at the door. "I have your mask waiting for you for when you are dressed, Mr. Agreste. Please do hurry, your Father is waiting." Is he here already? He's only been changing for like two minutes.
Plagg zoomed into the jacket of his suit before he opened the door and walked out. Sitting off to the side of the room and looking impatient was Father, like the little man had warned.
"Good, it looks like it fits well." Father said without standing from the chair, Adrien noticing the little black mask resting on the arm rest by his arm. "You will be arriving tomorrow with myself, Delphine and her daughter, Tatiana." Father revealed as he finally stood from the chair and walked over to him, handing him the mask.
Adrien looked down at the little black mask adorned with what he hoped was fake white feathers. He hasn't sneezed yet, so hopefully that means they're fake.
"As for the ball, you will arrive with myself." Father continued on as he walked over to another rack of clothes and looked down at them critically. "Once it has begun, you can do as you wish since you mentioned you asked that girl to go with you." Adrien bit back the urge to sigh at how Father referred to Marinette like he was resisting the urge to turn his nose up.
"Father, what about Saturday?" Adrien asked before setting the little mask down on the chair he had previously been seated in.
"We can talk about that Saturday. We have more important things to do than talk about some party your classmates are throwing. I expect you to be on your best behavior tomorrow, even when I am not around you." Father said as he turned away from the rack of clothes and back to him. "Your Mother would be pleased to see how mature you look in that suit, to see how much you've matured." Adrien's breath caught in his throat at the mention of his Mother and how Father's features actually softened for once.
He hasn't mentioned her in so long...
His eyes started to burn as Father walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it for a moment before making for the door.
Adrien turned to face him just as the door opened and in walked Tiana, and unfortunately that Prince that was with her before. "Oh, sorry. Wrong room." Tiana said with a smile up at his father before her eyes drifted his way.
"Your dress is in your dressing room, Miss Tatiana." Father said before looking towards her friend Martinus. "And you must be Prince Rey that I've heard of. It's a pleasure to meet you." Father extended a hand towards the ever smiling blond guy.
"Please, call me Martinus. This whole Prince thing is still strange to me." Martinus said as he enthusiastically shook Father's hand, to the point where Adrien wondered if Father would yank his hand away.
"Says the one who used to say he was Prince of Africa." Tiana commented with a sly smile up at her best friend before smiling up at his Father again. "Thank you for making a dress for me for tomorrow, Mr. Agreste. I know you're busy enough helping Mother with the designs of everyone's costumes." Tiana said with her usual warm smile before Father walked past her and out the room.
Adrien wasn't sure if he was annoyed more by the fact that his moment with Father was interrupted, or by the guy standing at Tiana's side that seemed to have a permanent smile.
"Lover Boy, I didn't get a chance to introduce you before you left earlier. Meet Martinus." Tiana introduced him to the cause of his annoyance, who held his hand out to him now with the smile aimed at him.
"Pleasure, I've heard a lot about all of you. But I heard you and the Princess here have been playing some video games together." Martinus said as Adrien reluctantly held his own hand out to the guy, who shook it with so much force and grip he almost swore he heard his joints pop.
"Stop calling me that." Oh so he's not allowed to call her it either, but does it anyways? Well that makes him feel a smidgen better.
"I'm Adrien." Adrien introduced himself after Martinus finally let go of his hand. When Tiana added Lover Boy at the end he smirked her way. "Kitten, I could give you a better nickname if you start getting other people to call me that." Adrien warned her which earned him a challenging smile in return.
Martinus looked between her and him for a second before folding his arms behind his head. "So I take it there's a reason she calls you Lover Boy then? I'm a little offended, Princess. I thought you'd be my Princess." Adrien's face flared with heat and looking at Tiana she didn't look much better at the bold comment of her supposed best friend.
"Tinus!" Tiana proceeded to yell at him in a language he didn't understand, so he figured it was probably Martinus' native language.
"Unapenda kumpiga!" Martinus chimed right back at her before she huffed and turned back to him.
"Sorry, we're speaking Swahili if you don't understand. Martinus grew up in Africa." Tiana revealed, which made sense why he didn't understand now since he didn't learn Swahili. He thought it was too difficult when he was younger, so he chose to learn Chinese.
"So you're a Prince of Africa then?" Martinus shrugged his shoulders but still smiled none the less.
"Actually, Spain. My Father's the King, still not used to the whole thing. I grew up with my Mom and didn't know much about him." Martinus answered, Adrien realizing that he was being very open for someone who hardly knew him. Maybe he was just a kind guy in general.
Though it didn't stop the nagging in his stomach over this guy and how close he was to Tiana.
"Miss. Serafini, you need to go get fitted and prepare for rehearsals." The little man that had been helping him earlier interrupted their conversation by appearing beside him and looking up at Tiana.
"I know, I'm about to do that now. I had the wrong room." Tiana said before backtracking out of the room at the shooing of the little man. "I'll see you later, Adrien. The suit looks good on you, by the way." Tiana complimented with a smile his way that he realized looked a little tired before she was ushered away, Martinus following after her.
Adrien frowned, wondering how tired she actually was, before the little man began shooing him towards the back room again to get changed yet again.
Walking in the room again, Plagg snickered from inside his jacket as he began unbuttoning it. "What?" Adrien asked the little Kwami before he flew out of his hiding spot.
"You're jealous." Plagg teased, hovering in front of his face with a grin as he pointed a paw at him.
"What? Plagg I'm not jealous." Adrien protested against his teasing as he hung the suit jacket on the hanger once more.
"Oh really? Then why else would you not like a guy that you hardly know and seems nice?" Plagg asked while still grinning at him as he continued changing.
Adrien groaned at Plagg's logic. He knew he couldn't answer him because he didn't have an answer for why he didn't like Martinus. He knew it wasn't right and it wasn't fair, but he couldn't help the nagging feeling in him when he thought of the way the guy kept calling Tiana Princess.
Plagg wasn't right though. Why would he be jealous when Tiana's just his friend?
After changing and ignoring Plagg's giggling the whole time, he walked back out to find the little man now gone. Leaving the mask on a chair, he grabbed his things to leave. Fortunately, this was the only thing scheduled for him today. He had the rest of the night to himself.
Which he would likely spend out on patrol since tomorrow and Saturday he would be too busy.
Besides, maybe talking to Rogue if she's out would clear his mind about this Martinus guy.
Ugh, what's there to clear. He's just a friend of his friend.
Walking out of the room, he noticed the Gorilla was standing down the hall a ways instead of beside the door like he had been. That's weird, usually he sticks right by him.
Heading down the hall towards him, laughter and chatting filled the area as all the actors and actresses ran around excitedly. Nearing the Gorilla, he heard a familiar laugh and stopped in front of an open doorway.
Looking in, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he saw Martinus once again. His eyes instead widened when he looked past him and saw Tiana flanked by the little man and a woman.
No longer was she in her usual t-shirts and jeans, but a black and gold dress that had golden jewel sequins cascading from her bodice down like stars in the night.
His father designed that? For Tiana?
He couldn't look away as she held her arms out at her sides for the designers to work, her arms completely bare from her shoulders on. A sash of black around her waist showed off an hour glass silhouette he never imagined she had.
The burn of his face was how he knew he had been holding his breath and was likely red in the face as he realized also he had been staring. How long had be been staring?
"You sure you don't want to be a Princess? I mean you already look like one, Tati." His attention snapped away from Tiana's beautiful dress to the guy sitting in a chair in front of her. "All you need to solidify it is a kiss from an actual Prince." A growl bubbled up from his chest at that one sentence, eyes narrowing on the blonde male that was so blunt with his friend.
"Well I already have to kiss the Beast." Tiana replied casually, reminding him of the talk she had with Chat Noir over not having a choice of her first kiss.
Before he could hear more, the Gorilla clamped a hand over his shoulder and began pushing him away to go back to the car and leave. Great, he won't be near to possibly stop her "friend" from trying to kiss her.
By the time they were back in the car, Adrien decided he knew where he would go tonight as Chat Noir. He wanted to check on her anyways to make sure she was alright and not exhausting herself with all this that's going on. But he also wanted to make sure that guy wasn't trying to convince her to kiss him.
When he got home, he had to wait an hour or two just to transform. Natalie apparently had orders to have him practice piano for an hour. Even though he already was going to do that Saturday.
He was happy when he finally got the chance to transform and escape.
Running over the rooftops, the sun had recently set. People were milling about the streets below and to him it seemed as though the whole city was quietly buzzing with excitement for tomorrow.
It's nice to see the city get excited over something not related to superheroes or Akumas.
Vaulting in the direction of Tiana's estate, he had to hide a little more upon seeing all the paparazzi lining the streets outside the security walls. It even looked like they had beefed up their own security, as there were new guards patrolling around inside and outside of the walls.
Well, hopefully he wouldn't trigger them by going over the wall to Tiana's balcony. Usually he gets lucky and times it right to where the cameras don't see him enter. But now there's more guards too.
As he perched on one of the rooftops opposite the swarmed estate, he noticed as the light within Tiana's room flickered on. She is home, he thought he'd have to wait a while.
Chat waited for the right moment when the guards passed each other and had their backs to one another to vault over the wall and onto the balcony once more. Crouching low to make sure the paparazzi didn't see him, he tapped his claws on the glass of her balcony door.
It was silent and there was no flutter of the curtains that let him know Tiana was checking who was on her balcony. After nearly two minutes he tried knocking again.
This time, the curtains parted for half a second. Not even enough time for him to see her eyes before she opened the door for him. "Bonsoir, ma belle." Chat greeted once the doors shut behind him.
"You're really risking it tonight, Chat Noir." Was the response he got as Tiana peaked through her curtains once more before turning her gaze to him. A response was turning on his tongue but died as he thought of her wearing that beautiful dress earlier.
How he wished he had seen her fully, not just the obscured part of others working on tailoring it for her while she wore it.
"I will take any risk to visit you, my dear." Chat purred with a warm smile, surprised when she didn't giggle and instead walked over to her couch. His ears flattened against his head as he saw that same tiredness he saw earlier at the theater. "Are you alright?" Chat asked, following after her and sitting down once she was sitting.
"I'm fine, just exhausted. It's been a long day, not to mention a friend of mine just showed up out of nowhere. It's all been a rush." Tiana explained, Chat offering her a soft smile as he watched her sink into the couch.
"Would you like me to go so you can get some rest, ma belle? I wouldn't think to keep you up if you want to sleep." Chat said before chuckling when Tiana shook her head without hesitation. "Are you sure?"' Chat asked, Tiana sitting up fully beside him now.
"I'm sure, I'm alright. I've had more hectic times than this in my life before." Tiana admitted before he heard a knock from her door. "I'll be right back." Tiana said before jumping up from the couch and heading for her door.
Chat frowned, watching as she went. Usually when he visited they were left alone, had security actually seen him?
"I'm going to bed, Princess." His cat ears twitched as that voice floated across the room to him, a growl bubbling in his chest. "Perhaps I'll wake you like sleeping beauty tomorrow." The growl moved from his chest up to his throat as he turned to look at the door that Tiana had barely cracked open.
"Which is why your room is so far from mine, Tinus. Go to bed, I'll see you tomorrow." Tiana said in response, Chat hearing one more phrase that he assumed was in the language the two spoke earlier before she closed the door and headed back his way.
Chat sank into the couch as Tiana walked back over, fighting the desire to fold his arms over his chest when she sat back down beside him. "Your friend, chérie?" Chat asked with a lot more snarl to his voice than he intended.
Either she was too tired or chose not to acknowledge, she nodded in response. "He's staying with us for a little while. He has a break from all his "royal engagements"." Tiana punctuated the air with air quotes.
Upon thinking of how this guy would be living with Tiana, a growl bubbled within him again. What was it about this guy that he didn't like so bad?
"I heard his comment about waking you like sleeping beauty. Quiet a Prince." Chat remarked sarcastically, this time earning a curious glance from the woman beside him on the couch.
"You sound jealous, Knight in Kitty Armour." Tiana commented with a sly smile, Chat staring at her for a moment as he heard Plagg mocking him enough about it.
"Not jealous, I just like to make sure you get to choose who will be your first kiss, my dear." Chat reminded her of their talk last time with a wink.
Tiana just continued smiling at him. "Sure, that's totally what it is." Tiana replied, Chat leaning an arm over the back of the couch and leaning closer to her with a smile of his own.
"It sounds like you want me to be jealous." Chat teased, watching as Tiana turned to face him fully on the couch now.
"Not at all. But it's adorable that you'd get jealous because a Prince wants to kiss the girl who's the furthest from a Princess." Tiana quipped back, giggling when he just stared at her for a moment in response.
She might not think she is, but she certainly looked like one in that dress. "Like it or not, you certainly look the part, chérie." Chat admitted seriously, only giving her a wink when she stared back at him for a moment with her face dusting pink.
Stuttering for a moment, he chuckled before she muttered under her breath. "Flirty tom cat." Chat leaned closer at those words.
"I was being honest, but you can believe what you want. I look forward to seeing your performance tomorrow though, Princess Belle." Chat assured her which turned the pink dusting to a full red blush. "Though I hope any kiss with the Beast is what you want." Chat said, which earned him this time a conflicted look.
"Let's not talk about that, please." Tiana replied, turning away from him now. Leaning back away from her, he frowned as he realized he ruined the joking mood.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"You didn't." Tiana said before he could even fully apologize. "Honestly, I hardly know the guy who is playing opposite me as lead. I've only ever talked to him during rehearsals and that's it." Tiana admitted with a shrug of her shoulders.
Chat didn't know what to say. His chest constricted just at thinking of her kissing the stranger, almost as much as it did looking at her with her friend.
There was a buzz from behind them, Tiana turning and looking back towards her bed before back at him. "That would be one of my alarms to let me know to start getting ready for bed." Tiana revealed, standing from the couch.
Sighing through his nose as he didn't want to leave her just yet, he stood as well. Tiana followed him as he walked towards the door. "I'll see you soon then, try not to overwork yourself." Chat said as they reached the door.
Tiana offered him a half smile. "Try not to get too jealous tomorrow then." Tiana replied, Chat laughing mockingly before turning to the door.
Before he could reach for the handle, Tiana's own hand stopped his. Turning back, she was closer than she had been a second ago.
Time stopped as he watched her lean up and his eyes rolled shut as her lips pressed against his cheek, fighting the desire in him that wished she had aimed just an inch to the left. All he could hear was his heart hammering against his rib cage and feel the warmth of her lips against his cheek.
Too soon did she pull away, and he had to take a second before he could open his eyes and look at her standing at the door now with a pretty red blush on her face. "I might not get to choose tomorrow, but that was my choice." Tiana said as he just stared at her.
She...did she just kissed him? His fingers grazed the spot on his cheek as he was speechless.
First I'm going to start with thank you for your patience about me not updating Wednesday. I really just needed the extra time on this chapter, and even with that I still was a little disappointed with the ending here. I had something else planned but that plan went astray. But either way, thank you for letting me take longer!
But ooh, Tiana kissed Chat Noir? Though only on the cheek, but obviously something's been up with the cat all chapter. Now even more so since he's just awestruck by what happened. I wonder what... Not really considering it's pretty obvious.
I wonder what's running through her mind since this was a strictly Adrien/Chat chapter. I also want to see how this Adrien and Marinette date will go with them at the ball. I'd better get started on that next chapter!
Thank you all as always for reading! For sticking with me this far! I will see you next chapter!