Two months before . . .
"m'Lady! Behind you!"
It took me a few moments before I could register what he said. But my reaction time wasn't quick enough for I felt a stabbing pain in my back and the air exit my lungs with such force that it made me stagger a bit to keep my balance. But I failed at that. I collapsed and hit my head hard on the tiled floor. In a few moments I felt a sharp ringing in my ears and my head started feeling heavier with pain. My breath was ragged and I had to suck in the air with my mouth to keep myself from falling numb to my senses. I gathered whatever bit of energy I found in myself, groaning from the pain, and tried to push myself off of the ground. But my arms failed me and the pain in my back and head only grew from the sudden movement. I felt myself getting drowsier with each passing second and the noise around me faded away as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
When I finally decided to give in to my body's demands of falling asleep, I felt a momentary rush of air around me and saw a flash of white before my lidded eyes.
My whole body was against my attempts to slightly crane my neck to just catch a glimpse of the white mass that had appeared in front of me. Having attained a good enough angle against the floor that was now covered in my blood, I blinked a few times to adjust my sleepy vision. The haziness in front my eyes started clearing and I could see the mass taking a well defined outline. I exhausted whatever energy and luck I and my miraculous held to analyze the shape in front of me.
But I wish I hadn't done that.
The pain in my back and head all reached my heart in a matter of seconds and before I could scream I saw the world dissolving around me into a dark, black void.
I gasped for air and started coughing uncontrollably. I grasped my neck with my hand, the other one supporting me as I sat up on my bed. I took a few deep breaths and let out a long sigh of relief after realising that it was only a bad dream.
A nightmare.
Blindly tracing my hand along the wall, I searched for the switch to my night lamp and switched it on. The soft light illuminated my bed chamber, as I liked to call it, a tint of deep pink and I let out another long sigh.
It was the same dream that I had been getting for the past two weeks. They were always animated differently from the previous ones. But no matter what the story, they always had the same conclusion. I could never see beyond that point because I always woke up in a pool of my own sweat, wheezing and fighting for air, trying to calm myself down. The dreams seemed so real, as if I had lived through them and as if they were chunks of memories. But that wasn't the case.
The only thing that made me believe in the possibility that these dreams were more than just a nightmare was the last person I saw in them. Or I think I saw in them.
Complete white. Just like him.
I crawled out of my bed and descended the ladder down to my room. The night lamp along with the moonlight that entered through my window gave a soothing aura to the environment and I relaxed. Looking out of the window, I could see Paris at its most serene hour.
Little to no movement on the roads, the street lights lit and the moon shining on the roofs of the many houses and buildings reminded me of those cute chick-flicks where a single flirtatious look of a boy set almost the whole school fangirling, except for the girl protagonist. That was what Paris was doing to me right now— flirting with me at an hour when I should be sleeping and turning me into one of those zombie fangirls. But who am I kidding, Paris is the city of love after all.
My train of thoughts reached an abrupt stop when I heard a thud above me.
An akuma attack?
I shot a glance towards my desk and saw a peaceful Tikki sleeping on one of my incomplete fashion projects. I didn't want to wake her just yet, so I climbed the stairs to my trap door and pushed it open slightly. I peeked outside and saw a pair of black boots along the railing of my balcony. Pushing the trap door a bit more, I saw a—
Dangling black belt?
Wait.
Chat Noir?
In a state of surprise mixed with confusion and exasperation, I pushed the trap door too hard and it landed at the back with a loud clap. I winced at the sudden sound and wished my parents hadn't heard that while the cat boy in front of me turned around swiftly and took a defensive stance, his baton ready for action.
I raised my arms sheepishly and he relaxed on recognizing me.
"Marinette?" He asked, surprised. He tucked his baton back into his belt and walked towards me, extending his hand.
I gave an incredulous look at his surprised expression. "Shouldn't it be me who is surprised that you are standing on the roof of my bedroom at this hour?" I said, accepting his hand and climbing up the remainder of the stairs.
"I am sorry purrincess, but I wasn't feline the need to sleep," he replied cheekily.
I looked unamused by his intended puns but he seemed to enjoy my reaction anyways.
"So what brings the black cat to my balcony?" I asked, folding my arms in front of my chest.
He shrugged innocently and I let out a sigh. I moved over to the railing and kept my arms on it, resting my head on my arms. Chat followed my movements and did the same.
I wanted to look at him. But the nightmare that I just experienced had my brain occupied. I can't remember who that was but I had a hunch. All I know is seeing a person, wearing all white and his hair was also white. He was wearing a belt, just like Chat Noir's. But that was white as well.
Was that really—
"Purrincess?"
"Huh?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at him.
He was looking at me, the moon light illuminating his face in a beautiful contrast against the black mask and his emerald eyes. His eyes held a questioning look and somehow that made ladybugs erupt into a dance in my stomach.
He looked so alluring and different from the Chat I saw during the day or during our night patrols. The usually boastful, flirty and reckless Chat Noir seemed calm, composed and serene at this hour. He rarely showed this side of him. And when he did it only made me wonder and question myself—
Do I really know him?
"You are so beautiful," I mumbled, audible only to myself.
He was very beautiful. He looked like an angel, created by God himself. His beauty wasn't only physical but it also reached his heart.
I wonder how you look without that mask.
But he blushed and I did as well when I realised that I had voiced my thoughts out loud and he had heard it.
I didn't mean to say that out loud!
"Why purrincess thank you, I am flattered," he exclaimed and chuckled, his cheeks still tinted red.
I flushed a deeper red, knowing that I had given him one more thing to boast about— his beauty.
Why do I always embarrass myself?
I chose not to say anything and looked at the night sky, trying to ignore the ladybugs in my stomach.
His chuckles slowly died down and I could feel his eyes locked on my face. "May I ask you something?" He spoke again, this time sounding a bit cautious and more serious.
I nodded in response, not looking at him because I was sure that if I met his eyes then I would become a stuttering mess in no time.
"Why aren't you sleeping? I suppose you have school tomorrow."
I nodded again and sighed, not sure if I should tell him about the nightmare. He must have sensed that my mind was contemplating something because he whispered a little reassurance.
"You know I am here for you."
I know.
I smiled and took a deep breath.
"I had a dream— more like a nightmare," I muttered, letting out a shaky breath. He nodded slowly and kept his hand on my back, gently rubbing it. The sensation of his hand sent a tickle down my back and I felt the heat rising to my ears and nose.
"A-and I-I saw—" I stopped again, this time thinking whether I should tell him what I think I saw.
There were two reactions I could expect from him— first, he would love it and would take it as an approval of throwing more puns at me and also become a hopeless flirt. Second, he would question me further about it and ask me for every detail I knew. And that would lead him to learning about the akuma attack that Bunnyx and I had to deal with a few weeks back. That would be our reveal but what could be worse was the danger that I would be putting him into. I could not let that happen.
"Saw what? Marinette," he was increasingly getting more worried. "Tell me please." His voice was laced with urgency and I sighed, having decided to lie to him about half of the story.
"I s-saw a w-weird akumatized person. A-And that person was trying to save me from another akumatized person."
It wasn't a complete lie. Chat seemed to buy the slightly modified story and nodded, smiling reassuringly.
"There is no need of an akuma to save you when your knight in shining black is here," he whispered and winked, making me blush and giggle.
"I know, kitty."
Two weeks back I had Bunnyx come from the future and take me to a time when all of Paris was drowned in water. Everything was tinted a pale white and a certain chill loomed in that future. I wasn't sure what had happened but then I met him and I could imagine what might have occurred.
He was singing a soft song. I recognised him immediately but when he turned around and looked at me, I received the biggest scare I ever had. Instead of meeting the usual green orbs, I met with chilling pale blue ones.
Chat Blanc.
Chat Noir was akumatized and his cataclysm led to the destruction of all of Paris. He was in pain and suffering and fell weak to Hawk Moth's akuma. He knew I was Marinette and he promised me happiness if I gave up my miraculous. Nothing added up and I didn't know what events led to all of this.
But the experience of having to fight my partner's akumatized self was not thrilling.
And it also told me that, even with the protection of our miraculouses, there was always a chance of us getting akumatized. I was sure that I could keep my emotions at bay but I didn't feel the same for him.
I sighed in relief, glad to see that he was safe and happy. So far I hadn't seen him depressed, anxious, sad or extremely angry which meant that no akuma could come near him. I can't say the same about his civilian self because I don't know him. But back then in the fight against his future self, Chat was the victim of the akuma which meant that if Chat Blanc has to happen then Chat Noir must get the akuma, not his civilian self. So as long as Chat Noir is happy there is no Chat Blanc.
I had to keep Chat Noir out of Hawk Moth's radar and I would do anything to ensure my partner's safety.
That was a promise I made to myself.
"Hey Chat," I started, breaking the silence that enveloped us.
He hummed in response and I smiled at the idea that lit up in my head.
"Want to come in and have some croissants?"
His face lit up and his mouth curved up into a big smile.
That's what I wanted to see.
"You don't have to ask twice purrincess," he chuckled, his ears twitching most probably from excitement.
"Stop with the puns and I will get you two croissants," I added, walking towards the trapdoor and climbing down the ladder into my room.
"But that's my purrsonality!" He retorted, stifling a laugh at the groan that escaped my mouth.
I shook my head at him and sighed, bringing a hand to my face.
This is going to be a long night.