Hello, everyone! Okay, so...the third episode of S4 left me shocked. I did NOT expect the ending of it...no spoilers, because it's huge, but this will make me add something to a chapter that I didn't exactly intend to.

Anyway, thanks for the support and I hope you'll enjoy this! :)

Chapter VIII: Friendship bracelet

"So, you're really telling me that nothing happened between you and Adrien today?" Alya smirked as she leaned back into Marinette's chaise, flipping through a magazine.

Marinette sighed a bit and forced back the groan. God, Alya really knew how to push her buttons. For the past hour, all she kept asking was what happened today in the art room between her and Adrien; and, no matter how many times Marinette told Alya nothing happened, her best friend did not believe her. Yet Marinette was really telling the truth - Adrien kept showing Marinette a couple more notes and that was it.

Nothing more.

However, when Alya and Nino walked on Adrien guiding Marinette's hands over the notes, of course the two had to make it a big deal and assume something bigger happened.

"Alya, for the fiftieth time in the last hour, nothing had happened!" Marinette leaned back into her chair, giving the auburn-haired girl an exasperated look. "I am serious when I say that Adrien was just trying to teach me how to play the piano."

"Whatever you're saying, girl!" Alya brushed a hand in the air as if to dismiss what Marinette said. The blue-eyed girl rolled her eyes and sighed. There was no way she could win an argument with Alya. Well, she couldn't exactly call this an argument, but still-

"So, what are you doing there?" Alya changed the subject as she finally glanced from the magazine. Marinette looked down and her cheeks reddened a bit.

"Oh, this? Nothing really." She shrugged as she tried to hide the threads behind a stack of books. However, Alya didn't look convinced. She sighed and got up, placing her hands onto her hips. Marinette knew what that look meant and sighed loudly. "Fine, I was trying to make a bracelet." She finally confessed in a small voice. She avoided looking at Alya; Marinette did not want to show how flustered she was.

"A bracelet?" Alya repeated with her eyebrows raised. "Since when are you into handmade bracelets?" The girl asked, slightly confused as she took her seat back in Marinette's chaise. "Last time we girls asked you to come join us and make friendship bracelets, you declined because you don't like making them." She reminded Marinette.

I declined because there was an akuma and I had to purify it!

Marinette looked down at her hands. If only she could tell Alya why she made so many excuses; sure, they weren't as many as years ago, but it was inevitable and Marinette still had to find excuses - most of them super lame - in order to transform into Ladybug.

"I-" Marinette thought a bit, "I actually lied then. I wanted to make you all surprise friendship bracelets!" She quickly said, still not looking at Alya.

Really? Is that the best lie you could come up with?

"We asked you two months ago..."

Marinette mentally slapped herself. She started chuckling, awkwardly. "Yeah, well...I didn't like the ones I previously made, so I started again!"

Alya raised one eyebrow, not exactly convinced. Yet, she decided to let it go, to Marinette's relief. Alya got up once again and made her way to Marinette. She watched the blue-haired girl grab the threads and skilfully pull one over the other. "You must've practised a lot, your fingers are moving insanely fast." Alya observed and leaned against Marinette's desk.

Her cheeks went pink at this, and she forced out a chuckle. "Yeah, right." Marinette murmured.

Alya carefully watched, noticing the colours of the threads: blue and pink. "Oh, a cute choice of colours. For whom is it?"

"Oh?'' Marinette frowned a bit, then let out another awkward laugh. "Ah, um...this is just a practice bracelet! Yeah, that's it." She quickly came up with an excuse, her hands shaking a bit now.

Why didn't I say it's for me?! Jesus, I'm stupid...

Alya noticed this and sighed. "Fine, keep hiding things from me. But I'll find out one day." Alya shrugged as she kept watching Marinette, her mind clearly somewhere else.

The blue-haired girl noticed it, yet didn't say one word and kept focusing on finishing the bracelet.

.~.~.~.

"You are really spoiling me, purrincess." Chat Noir said as he took another bite from the freshly baked croissants. He let out a small moan at the amazing taste. It was soft and felt like melting in his mouth, filling it with amazing flavour.

When Chat arrived over Marinette's, he didn't expect to find her laid on the ground under a cloth, a plate full of croissants on it and two glasses with juice along. "A picnic on my terrace." Marinette called it with a small smile.

However, Chat could tell there was something under that smile. She seemed...nervous? She kept glancing at him and, when she caught his eye, Marinette immediately looked away and took a large bite of the croissant, chewing on it louder than usual. He couldn't quite make it, yet perhaps she had something to tell him; so he didn't pressure her.

Chat was kind of hesitant coming over Marinette's that night; after he taught her as Adrien some basic notes, he couldn't shake the feeling he had from just touching her. It was one...odd feeling; not in a bad way though. But it was something he did not get. It wasn't the first time he touched her and for sure not the first time he'd been close to her - in fact, as Chat, he was quite clingy to Marinette; from resting his chin on her knees to even resting his head in her lap. And while Marinette pretended not to like it, each time Chat would try to pull away, Marinette would grab him back and mutter things under her breath, trying her best to hide her smile.

He was really comfortable around Marinette, touching her, being close to her. Yet, what he felt today...it was different.

Chat forced the groan back as he remembered his conversation with Plagg today.

"So you finally moved to the other pot," the black kwami smirked, his cat eyes watching Adrien carefully.

"Plagg, there is only one pot for me and that's Ladybug." Adrien rolled his eyes; of course, he did not forget the stupid comparison Plagg made years ago about Marinette and Ladybug being two pots he should leave simmering on the stove.

"Oh, if you only knew about that one pot." Plagg's smirk only widened and, before Adrien could ask anything else, the kwami left to get some cheese.

Chat still thought about Plagg's words. What was that supposed to mean? Of course, it could not be that Marinette and Ladybug were the same person; not only he saw it himself, but Plagg was not allowed to reveal Ladybug's identity, nor hint at it.

"Chat?"

The sweet voice made him snap back to reality. He looked at Marinette, clearly confused. The girl chuckled and rolled her eyes; now she seemed more relaxed. "I guess you didn't hear a thing I said, right?"

The blonde rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Um, not really; sorry."

Marinette let out an exaggerated, dramatic sigh. "Ah, it hurts my feelings that my little kitty is not listening to me!"

Chat laughed and rolled his eyes, poking her side with one of his sharp claws, soft enough not to hurt her, but enough to have her flinch from the ticklish feeling.

Marinette's smile faded and she started fidgeting. "So, um, I-I ha-have something for you,"

Wait, is she stammering? Around me- around Chat Noir?

Well, that was new.

He watched curiously as Marinette held her hand in front of him. As she opened it, his eyes slightly widened.

A bracelet - a handmade one, to be more exact, made of two coloured threads: blue and pink. "Is this for me?" Chat asked, surprised.

Marinette rolled her eyes at the question, yet her red cheeks gave away how she really felt. "Um, yes. It's a friendship bracelet; I know it may be stupid, but I wanted to make one for you...of course, you don't have to wear it or even accept it if you find it pathetic..." She gave him a small, shy smile.

"Oh, so we needed a bracelet to make things official?" Chat was obviously teasing. However, as he saw Marinette's smile fade and her eyes moving away from him, he realised how this came out. "Marinette, I was just teasing." Before Marinette could pull her hand away, he snatched the bracelet and looked at it. "It's gorgeous." Chat smiled and glanced at Marinette who was still not looking at him. "I mean it, Marinette."

Chat put the bracelet around his wrist and looked at it. "Why those colours?"

At this question, she only blushed more. "I-" Marinette hesitated, only making Chat more curious. "I thought of making matching bracelets - well, somehow, I mean." She held her hand out for Chat. He looked at it, only then noticing a bracelet around her wrist that looked similar to the one she made for him - only the colours differed.

"Oh? But yours is green and yellow," he pointed out, "how are they matching?"

She chuckled a bit, "I said they are somehow." She grabbed his hand and pointed to the bracelet. "See, blue for the colour of my eyes and hair and pink for my favourite colour," Marinette started and placed her wrist next to his, "green for your eyes and yellow for your blonde hair. Usually, friendship bracelets are made with colours that represent your friend; like I could've given you the bracelet I wore, since it resembles your eyes and hair colours. Yet, I thought it would be more profound to wear the other's colours. So that I can always think about your eyes and hair when I miss you and vice versa." She finished with a small smile, her face all red.

Chat looked with his lips parted. He was taken aback at this. He could not believe that Marinette thought of all this. Thought about him. She wanted to think of him when she looked at the bracelet and not about someone else. This only made Chat blush as well.

Marinette watched, nervous. It was unusual for Chat not to say anything. "And you probably think this is stupid and-"

"Why?" Chat cut her off, "Why for me?"

Her face softened as she saw Chat's face and how touched he looked. "Because you are one of my closest friends, Chat."

She saw something odd in his expression, some foreign emotion showing in his eyes. Yet, before she could react, he pulled her against him. She felt him tightly gripping onto her. Marinette blushed, yet she wrapped her arms around the back of his head. Her fingers played with his hair a bit as his hands were caressing her back. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me." Chat murmured, his lips unconsciously pressing against her temple. "I am going to cherish this forever, I promise." He muttered against her skin.

Marinette smiled and buried her face on his shoulder, taking a deep breath as the two held each other in a tight hug.

Chat meant it, every single word.

He was going to care for that bracelet forever.

And...that was it for this chapter. Ah, Marichat, I need a sweet moment like this in the next seasons (also, if you did not see, seasons 6 and 7 are ofcially confirmed!).

Also, keep in mind this bracelet and don't forget about it; because, even though it may not be mentioned from now on as much, it is going to play a HUGE role later *smirk smirk*.

Thank you for your support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and excuse any existing mistakes, I will try to correct them as soon as possible! I was thinking about updating again on Friday/Saturday, but I cannot promise anything.

Feel free to review your thoughts/what you want or think will happen next. (reviews mean a lot, but of course not mandatory:) )

Oh, and one more thing: Raveena201 I will forever love you for knowing the TMI line!

See you soon with a new chapter! xx