Chapter 4: Actions
Just then something flies by his window. It's Mr. Pigeon. "Not againnn…" Adrien groans. He transforms back into Chat Noir and chases after the akumatized villain. "Mr. Ramier, stop this!"
"Chat Noir you can't stop me from being with my pigeons this time! Everyone will be mine!" He lets out a belching maniacal laugh. Sleepy Parisians start emerging from their home, going onto the sidewalk and balconies to see what the ruckus is about. Mr. Pigeon grabs a handful of breadcrumbs from a paper bag on his hip. He tosses them over the crowd and everyone turns into pigeons.
"Well, that's new." Chat Noir thinks out loud.
"No kidding." Ladybug appears at his side.
"Good to see you, Ladybug."
"Give me your miraculouses before I turn you like I did my cute little friends here." The flock of pigeons he just transformed flies up at his whistle and charges at Ladybug and Chat Noir. The two run and duck behind the side of a building.
"Let's get this over with. Lucky Charm!" A ninja star emerges from her yoyo and falls into her hands.
"What's the plan LB?"
Ladybug looks around trying to figure out how to use her lucky charm. Before she can come up with anything, Mr. Pigeon flies around the corner. "There you are! Now give me your earrings so I can be with my pigeons forever!"
Ladybug sees how to use the ninja star. "Distract him, Kitty!"
Chat Noir does as she says and gets the villain's attention. He narrowly avoids the breadcrumbs. "Attack!" Mr. Pigeon blows his whistle and the pigeons fly towards Chat Noir's face. In the middle of his sneezing fit, Chat Noir won't be able to dodge the next wave of breadcrumbs. Mr. Pigeon reaches in the paper sack for more, but Ladybug already tore a hole in the bottom with the ninja star. In the middle of his stress, Ladybug easily swoops down and takes his bird whistles. She throws it on the ground and crushes it with her foot to free the akuma.
"Time to de-evilize!" She scoops up the dark moth in her yoyo and it emerges as a white butterfly. "Miraculous Ladybug!" When she throws it in the air, the ninja star explodes into a swarm of ladybugs. The pigeons are turned back into people, and Mr. Ramier is fallen on the pavement.
"Pound it."
"Oh no did it happen again? I was having a nightmare." Mr. Ramier apologizes again and again.
Ladybug helps him to his feet, "It's okay Mr. Ramier, we'll always be here to save you. Do you need help getting home?"
"It's okay Ladybug, I can walk it's just around the corner." Mr. Ramier walks home and the other Parisians go back to bed.
Ladybug turns to Chat Noir, "No more nicknames?"
Chat Noir wasn't sure if she would notice. "I've finally accepted that you don't share my feelings. It's time I move on."
Ladybug is hopeful he is moving on with Marinette but she doesn't know for sure. "Well regardless of feelings we make a great team Chat Noir," Ladybug smiles.
"That's for sure." Ladybug's earrings beep and she jumps away.
Marinette sleeps in the next day. Saturdays are her favorite. She gets dressed and goes down to the bakery to see her parents.
"Good morning Sweetheart! Do you want to help in the bakery today?"
Marinette gives her dad a kiss on the cheek, "I'd love to Papa but I was going to go dress shopping today for the dance." She told her parents about the dance over dinner last night.
"Is Alya going with you?"
"No, it's a secret identity dance remember?"
"Oh yeah that's right. Well have fun."
"Thanks Papa!"
Marinette walks across the street to the dress boutique. She opens the door and the bell on the handle jingles. A nice looking lady approaches her. "Can I help you find something, Dear?"
Marinette wasn't expecting this kind of service, "Um yes. I'm looking for a formal dress please."
"Right this way." The woman leads Marinette to a rack next to the fitting rooms. The woman is small enough that Marinette could look around the store over her afro. "Is this what you're looking for?"
"Um yes, thank you." Marinette looks through the rack of floor length gowns.
"Holler if you need any help Dearie!"
Marinette picks out a few that she likes to try on. One is pink and ruffly, very much her style. The other one is black with poofy sleeves and a bow on top. Marinette tries the black one on first. It fits her but it's not very flattering and black is kind of boring for her taste. "What do you think, Tikki?"
"It's cute but I think you ought to try on some more," she squeaks.
Marinette puts on the pink dress. It's a lot better than the black one but it's too loose at the waist. The ruffles feel too girly on Marinette. Tikki speaks up, "This isn't right either, Marinette!"
The little shop owner lady startles them, "I think this one would look good on you." The woman drapes a dress over the top of the door.
Marinette tries it on. Somehow this one fits perfectly. It's a red sweetheart with black detailing. A slit runs from mid thigh to the floor. It shows off just enough of her chest and leg. It flairs out the right amount in the right place. Marinette emerges from the dressing room, ecstatic. "How did you know?"
"I have a knack for things like this, Girlie. You can come to the counter when you're ready."
"Thank you, thank you!" Marinette changes back into her everyday outfit and goes to the counter. "Do you have masks by any chance? It's for a masquerade."
"We have a few." The woman points to a glass display.
Marinette picks out a plain black mask and pays for her dress. "Thanks again!"
That evening she's excited to hear someone knock on her trapdoor. "Hey Chat."
"Hey, Princess." Chat Noir leaps down onto her bed. "I told Ladybug I'm trying to move on."
Marinette is a little heartbroken that he's so blunt about it. "Do you not love her anymore?"
"I'll always love her and be there for her but my heart also yearns for someone else. Is it selfish to have two loves?" Chat Noir drops his head in her lap and looks up at her. He needs comfort in this moment. He feels guilty for wanting Marinette to love him when he's still in love with Ladybug.
Marinette is relieved he still has feelings for Ladybug. Having a hard time moving on means that his love is real. She twirls his hair in her fingers. "I think the heart wants what it wants. There's no changing that."
"What does your heart want, Marinette?"
She loves Adrien but Chat Noir and her bonded in the past week. Ever since she got back from New York, Chat Noir has been the only person she wants to spend time with. The reason she gets through every day is to see him after the sun sets. All this time with Chat Noir has made her feel a new kind of love. She feels comfortable with him. She feels safe. It feels real and wonderful and passionate.
A broken record plays in Marinette's head: "I caught feelings for Chat Noir, I caught feelings for Chat Noir, I caught feelings for Chat Noir."
She stares into Chat's glowing green eyes. Goosebumps run up her arms. She could see herself with this boy. "Who's your second love, Chaton? Ladybug and who else?"
Chat Noir sits up and leans close to her. She can feel his warm breath on her face. "It's you Marinette." He holds his leather clad hand on her cheek.
Marinette can't resist. She kisses him, only for a second then pulls away. She blushes profusely. "I- I'm sorry Chat Noir. I should've asked. You-"
Chat Noir interrupts her by locking their lips again. His other hand finds her waist and she melts at his touch. Her arms reach behind his neck and she clutches his hair. Warmth in Marinette's chest spreads to the rest of her body. It feels like the fireworks inside her are going to burst out. Marinette could stay in this moment forever.
She's so soft in his arms. He wants to pull her closer to him but it's physically impossible. They're bodies are intertwined effortlessly. Chat Noir's heart pounds faster than he's ever felt before. They break away to catch their breath. At the sight of Marinette's glossed over lips, Chat Noir's stomach turns.
Chat Noir leans back onto her pillows and pulls her gently to his chest. Marinette giggles, "I can hear your heartbeat Chat Noir." They sit just enjoying each other's company for several minutes.
"Hey Chat…"
"Yes?"
"What are we going to do?" Her voice is small and hesitant.
"What do you mean?"
"You're a hero, I don't even know your name."
"One day you'll know my name Princess. But for now let's just enjoy this."
Marinette tries to distract herself from her negative thoughts. "Hey Chat, I bet I could beat you in an arm wrestle."
Chat Noir scoffs, "You wish."
They sit up and find a place to arm wrestle. Marinette lets Chat Noir start. "Go!"
Their arms stay steady in the middle for a few seconds before Chat Noir gets the lead. Marinette grits her teeth and moves their hands back to the middle. Their arms start leaning in Marinette's favor and Chat Noir gives up. Marinette dances around singing, "I won! I won! I won!"
Chat Noir is pleasantly surprised, but he doesn't take defeat that easily. "One more time!"
For hours they talk and laugh and kiss and laugh some more, falling more in love as every minute passes. When it's time for Chat Noir to leave Marinette follows him onto the balcony to say goodbye.
He holds her close to him by the waist. His other hand is intertwined with hers. Chat Noir brings his lips to hers. When she pulls away she kisses him on the nose. "See you, Chaton."
"I'll be back tomorrow Princess."
Even though it's late Adrien can't sleep. Plagg disrupts Adrien's pleasant thoughts, "Marinette's great and all but why are you dating her as Chat Noir? Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to be Adrien?"
"She would never date a guy like Adrien, Plagg. Besides, one day we'll defeat Hawkmoth and she can know my identity."
"I guess so but you really are making this whole thing difficult."
Adrien returns to thinking about Marinette. He has plenty of admirers as Adrien but that's when he's restricted to be this perfect image by his father. Marinette's the first person to ever love Adrien's realest self.
He wakes up early for fencing practice. This day Kagami wins more matches than he does. In the locker room Adrien tells her the news, "Kagami, I decided that I don't want to be your boyfriend. I'm really sorry."
"I think we would be perfect together but I'm happy you're decisive. We make good friends regardless."