May 23 - Blush

Author's Note: His alter-ego banned from leaving the mansion, Chat nonetheless escapes in order to daydream about his girlfriend on a sunny rooftop in Paris. Too bad he was supposed to be somewhere else that morning...

Ep: Much like Chat, I have this odd feeling I am supposed to be somewhere else today. If anyone can remember, please let me know. And if I was supposed to meet you, looks like I'll be late…

MR: I think you were supposed to be enjoying the nice weather and mowing my yard today...

Today's story is by epcot97.

Chat roamed the rooftops of Paris, fuming, for once more his father had insisted that he need no distractions over the weekend. Not only had guests of any kind to the mansion been forbidden, Adrien had likewise been chastised for having spent too much time frivolously socializing with friends during the week. Roughly translated, it meant another lonely weekend filled with endless hours doing homework, or practicing the piano; if he could get away with it, maybe a few bursts of video gaming to break up the monotony. But on that particular early Saturday morning, the sixteen-year-old beneath the mask and feline ears was understandably feeling more than a little rebellious; it hadn't hurt that a certain kwami of destruction - used to upending the status quo where possible - had actually egged him into transforming and escaping into the beautiful blue sky filled with brilliant sunshine.

The feline-themed superhero knew that beneath the cranky exterior, Plagg had a soft spot for his holder and had only made the suggestion in an attempt to cheer up Adrien; it wasn't a tough sell, for the freedom provided by his alter-ego was always a welcome antidote to the lock-step life the young supermodel otherwise found himself grinding through. It was one of just a handful of bright spots that had appeared since the disappearance of his mother years earlier.

Soaring into the sunshine over an alleyway, Chat landed atop an antenna aerial a few blocks from his virtual prison, and already felt the weight of being the son of a famous designer lifting - along with his spirits. Closing his masked eyes, he turned his wild mane into the warmth of the day and basked briefly in the base feline instincts that came with the Miraculous.

Where to go? He thought to himself as his feline ears pivoted to pick up the sounds of the city around him.

Having pulled this action a time or two before, he knew his alter-ego wouldn't be missed until far later in the day. One of the upsides to performing the act of dutiful son was the implicit assumption he would simply follow his Father's instructions and remain secluded in his room at the mansion. Chat felt a sly smile appear on his face, wondering if his increasing intrepidity was a direct result of Plagg's influence over the years.

No, he thought as he set off in no particular direction once more, this is all me. Chat is just a convenient excuse to let myself run wild.

Careful to keep away from the streets and, reluctantly, to the shadows where possible, Chat tried to honor Ladybug's request at least in spirit that he only appear to Paris when needed. There had been many conversations between the two of them over the years regarding his continued predilection to transform at the slightest whim and prowl; they had trailed off a bit as their partnership deepened into a solid friendship that had bonded the two of the together, more so when she'd become became the latest Guardian. Secretly, Chat thought Ladybug teased him more because she actually loved seeing him in his feline ears and skintight supersuit; he couldn't deny how he looked forward to any opportunity where that form-fitting red-and-black outfit of hers graced his presence.

He sighed as he randomly arrived at one of his favored rooftop hideaways; it was angled in such a way that Chat could snooze in direct sunshine and have a nearly unobstructed view of the Grand Palais surrounded by its lush gardens. While he'd never actually given up hope of one day wooing Ladybug to be, well, his Ladybug, he was intuitive enough to know that what little chance he might have had with her had gone out the window the day Master Fu made her Guardian. Not only had Ladybug had become even more professional, she had gently but firmly reminded him that there was another boy in her life; whoever it was, he had to give them credit, for at first blush they seemed to be a much needed grounding presence for his partner, something heretofore he'd assumed had been his province. In the end, he was just happy she was happy.

Chat had slowly begun to take the steps to look for love elsewhere, though as he folded his arms behind his unruly mane, it had not been without its own travails. Dating anyone as Adrien Agreste had proven to be impossible; his brief foray with Kagami had shown that, given the pressures the two of them had to be the perfect offspring and, essentially, brand ambassadors for their parent's respective companies. Chloe had pulled herself out of the running after the disaster she'd wrought as the Miracle Queen akuma; he'd known how self-centered she was growing up with her, but had hoped under Ladybug's influence, she'd turn over a new page. It hadn't happened, and besides, she'd finally moved to New York to be with her mother.

He couldn't quite remember how he had heard that Marinette's heart had been broken; to be honest, while she had been a solid friend to his alter-ego, until that moment he'd kept her in the periphery. But she had looked so distraught at school that particular afternoon, quietly sobbing while surrounded by all of her friends, his inner Chat instantly kicked into gear. Adrien had, of course, been whisked off to fencing practice, unable to do anything in the moment; feigning a twisted ankle had allowed Chat to sneak out of the locker room and locate a still-despairing Marinette on a park bench near her family's Bakery.

The mask and costume had engendered trust enough for her to allow Chat to comfort her; while he never did find out who it was she'd been crushed by, that pivotal event had led to Chat appearing more nights than not at the Bakery. He smiled wider, for visits to the park together - ostensibly for sketching the flora and fauna - had soon followed, though that had required him to don a costume over his costume in order to hide him in plain sight when he was out with Marinette.

Before either of them realized what had happened, they'd fallen into a comfortable relationship that felt like it was as old, and as natural, as time itself. Love had not been an unexpected byproduct, though it was somewhat tricky navigating the civilian/superhero challenges that presented. Somehow, they had managed a way to do it that both protected his secret identity while allowing him to dote on his girlfriend as much as was felinely possible.

Thinking of Marinette always made his soul feel as though he had finally found his purrfect match, for she understood him in ways others couldn't. The mask had long allowed Chat to be the person he truly wanted to be, and Marinette had somehow seen that too, reaching down beyond the pun-loving, flirtatious persona he presented to Ladybug and the world writ large to wrap herself around his heart. He could die happy having seen how she smiled at him when he appeared to her at the Bakery or any other random spot in Paris.

Marinette had done more for what had been that lonely boy beneath the mask and feline ears than she'd be able to know in the near term; he'd repaid the favor in kind, being there during the difficult moments she had, not all of which she'd been comfortable confiding in him entirely. The pressures of school, combined with the struggle of keeping a family business running seemed to truly weigh her down, not to mention trying to get into a top-notch university after graduation. Chat never asked for details, just patiently was there for her however she needed him to be, whether that was sharing a hot cocoa over a game of UNO, or simply holding her tight to his costumed chest to watch the stars come out over the city, his tail carefully wrapping itself around her waist.

As he got to know Marinette better, Chat realized she was everything he had thought he'd seen at Dupont that day he had handed her his umbrella. Ladybug had stood in his way then, which is why he'd been a fool and hadn't acted on his instincts. But in fairness to himself, he knew now that it had taken time for him to understand the difference between infatuation and truly loving someone. The Adrien - or Chat, for that matter - that may have approached Marinette back then wasn't the Chat of today, the one she was in love with.

The warmth of the sun made Chat languid, unwilling to even reach for his baton when it started to incessantly buzz at the small of his back. Reaching for it reluctantly, he was relieved to see it wasn't an akuma alert. In fact, as the warm smile that appeared on his masked visage could attest to, it was something far superior: a text from Marinette.

Mari: You forgot, didn't you?

CN: I never furget a pretty face, Princess.

Mari: (eye roll emoji) I know THAT. But you promised fencing practice today. I can't believe you fell for the evil wiles of the sun instead.

Chat felt his ears pop up straight and masked eyes widen; groaning, one look at the clock on his baton told him his girlfriend wasn't wrong, for he had committed to another round of teaching Marinette some more advanced moves. She'd gotten rather good since joining the squad with Adrien (at his gentle encouragement), though he'd been surprised at how much of a gymnast she appeared to be. What wasn't surprising was her rather accurate hunch as to where her boyfriend had disappeared to.

CN: Nothing could come between us - not even the sun. Sorry! My quick catnap got out of hand. Be there in five.

Mari: I'll be waiting…

He found her in a more secluded part of the wide plaza, outfitted in workout gear that hugged her beautiful form in a way that made Chat's pulse start to race. Despite how constantly he told her how gorgeous she was, Marinette would always blush and wave him off, calling her boyfriend a biased observer. It didn't matter how often it made her flush - he repeated it as regularly as he could in an attempt to make her a believer.

Impulsively, he took her into his arms and gently kissed her. As they parted, she arched an eyebrow. "Don't get me wrong, I'll take that over a basic 'hello' any day. But what brought that on?"

"Nothing," he smiled. "Everything," he added enigmatically.

"Okay," she returned the smile, her eyes dancing with understanding. "Ready for what's next?"

"Always, Princess," he laughed as he answered a different question than perhaps the one asked. Extending his baton slightly, he grinned wickedly. "Now and furever."