I'm well aware that I'm taking a tad too long to update, so I'm so grateful for your patience! I really am! I always feel so bad for making you wait more time for the updates. So, instead of leaving you with a cliffhanger and such, I decided to publish what I had planned for both last and this week in one chapter!
Also, I still can't believe that this is chapter 25 (and they're still not together, oops). I can't believe I've managed to write this much when I had been doubting whether I should even try writing fanfiction!
Who's excited for the start of season 4? I know I am. I've mostly stayed away from spoilers because I just like being completely surprised, but the small things that I have seen have me all pumped up for the season!
Adrien wiped his hand against his jeans as the group headed towards the arcade. Walking behind Alya and Nino, the two of them, Marinette and Adrien stayed next to each other. He glanced down at her, noticing how she was smiling lightly as she stared to the front of them, following her gaze his eyes landed on the couple in front of them, they looked quite chummy and it made him feel just a tad jealous that they had found the person they loved so quickly. It was like they were meant to be.
His hand brushed lightly against hers, his body froze as he glanced down at her, waiting for any kind of reaction. His curiosity left him with his hands empty when she showed no signs of caring about the fact that their hands literally brushed ever so slightly, and it made him want to grab her hand and he felt like he was dying as he held the urge in.
The arcade building loomed over the group as they approached it, a kind of giddiness filling him as he thought about being out with his friends. He truly enjoyed every single passing moment he had with his friends.
He felt a pull on his hand as he broke out of his reverie, Marinette smiling up at him with bright eyes as she grinned widely. "Come on, don't just stand there." She pulled him along with her, his skin tingling where her hand connected with his.
Once inside, he glanced at the numerous rows of games lined up next to each other. The sheer size of the arcade was impressive, but the endless rows of games made him itch to play them all, although realistically that'd be almost impossible in one day. Glancing towards the petite girl to his face, a smile graced his lips. He was sure that'd be no problem for her, she'd probably crush all the games here with such an ease that he wondered whether she was some type of videogame warrior.
The thought made his smile widen as he felt another pull on his arm, "Let's go, Alya and Nino left already and pretty much just us together." His eyes widened before he tried looking for his friend, what a traitor.
Looking at his troubled face, Marinette couldn't help but laugh, loudly. She ignored the slight voice in her head that said that he didn't want to be alone with her because he didn't like her as a friend.
Smiling up at him she tried to reassure him, "They said to meet up at the little cafeteria in an hour, then we'll go and play games together as a group," leaning closer, she whispered into his ear, "if you tell me, that was just an excuse and they just wanted to be alone." She winked at him, making sure to come across as playful.
Adrien felt his lungs burn as he let air in after forgetting to breathe at her proximity. He felt like a damned fool for feeling so affected by such a basic motion from her, he thought he'd die or combust if she so much as touched him any longer.
He grimaced at the image his vivid imagination had put in the forefront of his mind. This was the last thing he needed when he was alone with the one he loves.
With a nod, he followed her, a pout slipping into his face when she let go of his hand after pulling him to one of the nearest games to where they were. He glanced up at the name of the game, quickly realizing it was a generic race game. He smirked as he sat down next to Marinette, he was practically an expert at this type of game there was no way Marinette, who had no experience with cars whatsoever could win against him.
It was payback time.
He carefully chose his car, making sure it was fast yet had enough control where he would be able to actually manage it. Choosing the correct car played a huge role in whether one would end up as the loser or the winner, and he felt assured of his choice. He had this in the bag.
He stepped on the 'gas pedal' the moment the game let him, focusing on his own screen as he tried to not get distracted by his imagination of how the bluenette would look like when deep in concentration. He knew that face all too well, and he'd be damned if he let it make him lose his focus now. Dang it, he was getting unfocused, wasn't he?
He still had the lead, nearing the last lap as he heard a chuckle come from the petite girl beside him. He knew that sound well, he could almost imagine her pink room surrounding them, and the smell of cookies and baked goods waft into the air. The thought brought a smile to his lips as he refocused on the game in front of him.
Smirking as he neared the finish line with the expertise that only someone who spends hours in front of a screen could, he was ready to declare his victory when a very distinct pink car zoomed past his, snatching the victory he was so sure he had had in the bag. He turned his head as a small cry of victory called for his attention, the bluenette smiling so wide it was impossible for him not to smile back.
"Having fun?" turning fully towards her, he got out of his seat, helping her out of hers as well.
"Beating you? Yeah, it's fun." His smile widened as he pulled her a tad closer as they made their way to the next game, making sure she didn't bump into anyone in the crowded arcade. The familiar touch, he noticed, was something only he as Chat would do. The slight tension he felt when she felt his touch the only indication of it before she relaxed slightly.
"I bet you that I'll find a game I can defeat you in." He smirked as he looked down at the bluenette, hoping his challenge would help her relax around him. He was the effect almost immediately as she stood up straight, a smirk appearing on her pink lips. The prospect of a challenge enough to bring fire into her eyes. It made him want to feel this way every second of his measly life, like this with her. Perhaps visiting her as Chat wasn't something he had to step away from, he could stay as friends with her as Chat and pursue her as Adrien. A small grin graced his lips as he imagined her reaction when he'd get to reveal himself. He knew he was getting ahead of himself but dreaming never hurt anyone.
Her voice pulled him from his extended daydreaming, "I wouldn't be so sure, Agreste."
"Well, you can't be better than me at every single game here, it's impossible." He shrugged lightly, trying to seem nonchalant.
She leaned closer to him, standing on her toes as she tried to get as close as possible to his ear, "Oh, you don't know anything about what's possible." He gulped at her words, looking down at her as she grinned, hands clasped back as she rocked on her heels. "I'm going to beat your ass; don't say I didn't warn you." She pointed a finger at him, and he took it as a direct challenge.
An hour later and Adrien hadn't won, not even once. They had tried so many games, so many that Adrien felt dizzy from trying to remember the names. They went back to meet with Alya and Nino at the food area. Upon entering, his stomach grumbled unpleasantly as his own hunger registered for the first time.
The smell of fatty foods made his stomach protest in discomfort, but he pushed it aside. He wasn't going to let a bit of nausea and a future stomachache stop him from eating all the food he could find.
"Shall we go eat? I don't see Alya and Nino yet, I can give them a call while we wait in line." Nodding, he glanced at the interminable line, groaning in annoyance as his stomach grumbled.
Waiting at the line felt eternal, and he wasn't sure if he liked to categorize it as a heavenly kind of eternal or as one that came out straight from hell. Avoiding the rest of the sweaty teens waiting alongside them, Marinette pressed up against him more than usual, her arm brushing against him almost constantly. He looked down at her, noticing how her nose scrunched up as one dude that was extremely sweaty and smelled bad leaned a tad too close to her.
He crossed his arm around her shoulder, pulling her a tad closer protectively. "Here, this way they won't accidentally touch or anything."
She smiled lightly, "Thanks." Sighing, she let herself relax between his arms, and the motion made a comfortable warmth spread from his chest to his limbs. Staring down at her, he admired her face closely for the first time since he figured out he loved her.
Her cheeks had a vast number of faint freckles, adorning the top of her cheeks up to the top of her nose, circling the arch of her brows. Her dark brows framed her face exquisitely, and her blue eyes were such a beautiful shade that he wondered how he hadn't noticed how he could get lost in them. Daring to stare a tad lower, his eyes landed on her lips, the rosy hue in combination with how plump and glossy her lips looked made them look so kissable his hand twitched as he stopped himself from caressing her face.
He was pulled away from his observation when he heard a throat clearing near the two, his head snapping up in attention at the intruding sound. His eyes met his amber ones that glinted with mischief, along with a raised brow and a smirk. "Well, aren't you guys chummy?"
Marinette quirked a brow before analyzing their position and how it must look to outsiders. Blushing profusely, she pulled away from him. "It's not what you think, Adrien was just trying to protect me from the crowd. Right, Adrien?" He looked into her eyes, gulping as he nodded along with what she said.
"This area is very full, apparently everyone was hungry at the same time." Alya stared up at him, or more like directly to his soul, a knowing smile spreading across her lips. He glanced towards his best friend, finding the same kind of expression on him as his girlfriend.
Pursing his lips, he turned his face away from their stares, sure that his cheeks resembled closely a cherry.
Not long after, the group ordered and ate without any delay. Going back to the array of games, the four stopped in front of a game that held Paris' heroes as some of its players. His lips stretched into a smile as he saw Alya pull Nino and consequently Marinette and him to the arcade game.
"I bet Rena Rouge can kick both Carapace's and Chat Noir's ass." At Alya's he turned to stare at Marinette, not expecting the smirk that graced her lips as she put her hands on her hips authoritatively.
"I'm sure she could kick Carapace's ass, but I don't think Chat Noir would go down that easily, he does have more experience, and is stronger." She shrugged as though to take away some importance to what she was saying, "Plus he's smarter than what most people peg him for."
He felt his chest expand in pride and love at her words, nodding along with her. "I mean, I guess? But I didn't know you knew so much about Chat, care to explain just why you're defending his honor so valiantly?"
Scoffing, Marinette crossed her arms. "No reason, you mentioned him first anyway."
"Okay, okay. So, let's play, alright?" The four took turns, Alya winning against Nino in a swift battle, then it was his and Marinette's turn. He was about to pick Chat Noir to let her use Ladybug, who was everyone's preferred character in this game, but surprise crossed his features when he noticed that the bluenette had picked him before he could. So, with a small smile, he chose Ladybug.
As the fight started, the two kept their combos light, dancing around each other, testing their style. He tried to avoid making combinations he'd make as Chat, and it proved difficult when he found himself in a particularly hard spot. And she wasn't even trying yet! She was just playing around with him.
Breathing deeply, he forwent being cautious with his combos, if he wanted even the slightest glimmer of hope he had to play like he was most comfortable. He felt Marinette falter as they continued to play. And he felt pride swell his chest when the game signaled his victory. Smiling widely, he turned to Marinette, the smile dropping when he noticed the forlorn look in her eyes. "Marinette? Are you okay?"
She smiled lightly at him, "Yeah, you just played like someone I know." He gulped as his spin tingled in anxiety at the prospect of her connecting the dots. Her saying those words made him just forgo his plan and just continue visiting her, just so that he could keep her closer than ever.
"You only won because I got distracted because of that, I'm sure it was just a lucky shot, I bet you can't win against me again."
"No way, the challenge was that I could beat you once, I already did." She smiled sweetly, but he knew that smile all too well to believe the appearance of such a heavenly smile.
"Are you backing down, Agreste?" He knew she was taunting him, but god damn it. He couldn't resist her when she looked so devilishly beautiful. And he knew he never had a chance.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
Marinette felt satisfied after going out with her friends and wiping the floor with Adrien. She could've never imagined it would feel so good to beat someone! Perhaps it was her old crush coming up as friendly rivalry, but she couldn't deny that they had gotten along today splendidly.
They had gotten along so well that she had made the blunder of getting distracted when he started using moves Chat loved using. It frustrated her to no end. That idiot had no business being on her mind so often!
Her phone pinged, shifting her attention from her thoughts. Picking it up, she saw Luka's message spring up on the top of her notifications bar. Opening it, her eyebrows furrowed as she read the message, eyes bulging out as she pushed herself from her bed, rushing down the stairs that lead down to her family's apartment.
She was about to open the door when she was stopped by her mother, "where are you going running like that?"
Putting her shoes on, she turned to look at her mom, "Luka's downstairs." Before she could leave, her mom grabbed her by the collar.
"Don't be rude, honey, and bring him upstairs. I think it's time we meet him properly." Sighing, she looked down at the petite woman.
"Shouldn't the invitation be a little more official?" Shrugging, her mom started walking towards the living room, stopping halfway and looking over her shoulder.
"Well, considering that someone was just waiting to never invite her boyfriend over, it's the best time we're going to get. I was starting to believe you were hiding the poor kid." At her mother's words, she felt her cheeks heat up into a bright apple shade. She hadn't been hiding Luka.
Walking down the stairs, now at a more leisure and reasonable pace, she quickly landed on the first floor. Opening the side door, her eyes landed on dark hair as he seemed focused on the floor more than anything else.
"Luka?" He lifted his face, a smile gracing his lips as his eyes landed on her face.
"Hey, I just… mom made the family recipe casserole, and I remembered how you said you wanted to try it last time I described it to you, so I brought you some." Her gaze landed for the first time on the bag that hung lowly in his hand, understanding crossing her features.
"You shouldn't have, here come inside." She moved away to let him enter the house, but he only shook his head without making any motion to move.
"It's okay, I don't want to intrude." She grabbed his hand, pulling him inside with very little resistance.
"Well, Mom told me to invite you in, so you won't be intruding even if you wanted to." At her words, a smile graced his lips, before he let her pull him up the stairs, to where her family resided.
Marinette thought she knew what to expect when she crossed the threshold into her room with her boyfriend, but her parents completely gushing over Luka was not it. She cringed as her dad pulled him up to the table, where a cake had been laid out. Wait, when had her parents even had time to make this cake?!
"Mom, Dad. Let Luka go, he doesn't need you guys to be all over him." She sent a look towards her parents, a small blush tinting her cheeks at her parent's antics. Sitting down at the table, she took the knife that had been taken out for the cake. Cutting four pieces, she laid each on separate plates, before handing her mom and dad a plate, then taking one for her and Luka.
"Sorry, Luka, our family ate dinner a while ago, so this cake is the only thing I have to offer you but come on another day and I'll have a good dinner for the four of us." Her mom smiled sweetly, ignoring the way Marinette's cheeks blossomed red with her embarrassment.
Gosh, what was it that was so embarrassing about having parents meet one's boyfriend?
The couple was pulled to the couch, as her father turned on the game console, fully intent on testing her boyfriend's skill. A smile graced her lips, a small amount of pity ingrained in her look as she passed a controller towards Luka. He looked down at the object on her hand with his brows furrowed, sighing as he took it from her hands.
Leaning down closer to her, lips brushing almost brushing against her skin, he whispered so as to not be heard by her parents, "The things I do for you." Before landing a chaste kiss on her cheek.
"You'll be fine." She smiled encouragingly. At least he wouldn't be playing against her, so he had a bit more hope of not losing completely.
She sat back on the couch as she watched her dad completely slaughter her boyfriend in Mecha Strike III. She felt bad, honestly. How was she supposed to know that he wouldn't be that great at video games, although she should've known. He's her boyfriend, isn't he? As she looked at him as he sat with his back hunched, brow furrowed as he tried to form a counterattack against her father's onslaught, she realized she didn't know about him as much as she should. It made a guilty discomfort fill her stomach.
How much did she truly know about him? She knew he liked music and Jagged Stone, she knew his immediate family and that was pretty much it. Her eyes traveled along his face, landing on his hair, a giggle escaping her lips as she thought about his love for dyed hair.
After a good hour of poor Luka suffering under her dad and, admittedly her gameplay, her parents left them to have their time together in her room. That's how she found herself in the middle of her room with Luka staring along her pink walls, the smile on his face widening as he took in all the little details of the room.
"This room is so you." Looking up from her desk, she smiled up at him.
"Why do you say that?" She turned around, facing him as she leaned against the desk. He walked up towards her, putting his arms around her as he put his hands on either side of her on the desk. He was close, so close she could almost see distinguish all the different shades in his ocean blue eyes.
Her lips parted as he leaned in closer, his eyes glued to her lips. A shiver ran down her spine, breath hitching when his hand touched her cheek. She felt glued to her place, the rush of what was happening too much to make a move. She heard a distant sound that resembled that of boots hitting her balcony, but Chat hadn't visited her in so long, she doubted tonight would be the night he did.
She could feel his hot breath hitting her lips, when a crash that sounded very similar to a flower pot crashing into the ground startled her, causing her to jump up and crash her forehead into her unassuming boyfriend who was about to kiss her. "Fuck!" He hissed as he held unto his nose, red from the impact. She pulled his hand away from his nose, trying to see if he had any blood running down it before sighing when she could see that it was only a little bruised and that it would most likely not even hurt tomorrow morning.
"Luka, I'm so sorry, I got startled." He waved her off, trying to diminish the pain he was currently in, sniffling as his nose acted up.
"It's fine, I know it wasn't your intention, anyone would've reacted the same. Actually, I was wondering, what was that? First, it sounded like someone landed on your balcony and then the crash." His brows furrowed as he looked in the direction of her skylight. Making his way to her loft, he looked at her. "Do you want me to check?"
"No!" She scrambled as she grabbed at his arm, "It's a stray cat that sometimes bothers me at night. It usually leaves when I feed it." He looked down at her with a frown, as his eyes strayed around her room as if searching.
"You don't have any cat food in your room." She gulped as she scrambled for an excuse, she hated lying to her boyfriend, but what else could she do? Knowledge of her friendship with Chat could put all of them in danger.
"I keep it on the balcony, he knows that so he was probably searching for it and dropped a pot while doing so." Pulling him away from her loft, she glanced inconspicuously at the skylight, hoping he was still there when she eventually got to go to her balcony. "Luka, I think it's getting late, how about you leave?" She walked down the stairs that lead to the living room behind him, her parents looking behind them as the couple reached the floor, standing in front of each other a bit more awkwardly than they had been before.
"Leaving so soon." Luka looked at her mother before fixing his gaze on Marinette.
"It seems so, thank you very much for everything, the cake was delicious." Her mom stood up from the couch, pulling along her husband. "Do come by anytime you want, Marinette doesn't even have to be here," the woman teased with a smile, "you're always welcome."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I guess I'll just leave for today, it was nice to be invited into your home, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng." He turned around, intent on leaving the home when she felt a nudge on her ribs proceeding from her mom.
Catching the silent command, she grabbed his arm before smiling up at him, "Wait, at least let me accompany you downstairs." With a nod the two went down the stairs in silence, saying their goodbyes with only a kiss on the cheek from the musician.
"I'll see you later in the week, okay?" With a nod, she watched Luka turn around, closing the door once she saw him turn the corner. Leaning against the door, she sighed, before braving herself as she walked up the stairs, trying to seem as if she didn't want to run up to her balcony and see her partner.
She ignored her parent's curious gaze as they glanced her way before she disappeared into her room. She locked the door to her room just in case, before making her way to her balcony. She hoped he hadn't left, she missed him so much and it wasn't fair if he just left like that without even seeing her.
Pushing her skylight open, she let her gaze explore her balcony thoroughly. A sigh escaped her lips when she could catch sight of the leather-clad hero. A broken pot near the skylight caught her eye, the plant was still salvageable despite its leaves being all shaken up. Still not giving up, she pulled herself completely onto the balcony, before sitting down on the lounge chair. Knowing him, he'd come around once more before deciding to leave for the night.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Adrien knew he was impulsive sometimes, it was a trait he was aware of, especially when he was clad in his superhero suit, it was as though having his identity stripped away from any connection to him when he donned the mask made him more impulsive, but honestly he liked to think that was just part of the human nature.
Either way, his not listening to his own decisions was the one impulsive thing that had led him here. At her balcony. Like a moth to fire.
When he'd landed on her balcony he'd made sure to let his presence known like usual, he felt a kind of special anxiety at the thought of seeing her with him under the mask. Breathing deeply to control his racing heart, he leaned down to stare through the skylight when she didn't say anything after he knocked lightly. His eyes roamed across her room, feeling slightly guilty about invading her privacy like this.
His eyes landed on where her desk was, breath hitching and his blood running cold as he witnessed the scene laid in front of his eyes. He didn't want to see more, yet he couldn't tear his eyes away from it. He should've known, they were dating after all, but why did it still leave such a bitter taste in his mouth? His lips trembled as his eyes stayed glued, his eyes growing glossy as he released a shaky breath.
He turned around too quickly, without minding where his body was nor where his tail was going, only the sound of a crashing pot stirred him away from the blind pain he had been feeling.
He turned around, staring at the broken pot, scared that he'd made his presence known. He had to leave, as quickly as possible. Scrambling to gather his bearings, he ignored his desire to clean up the mess he made. Perhaps if he left it as is he could blame it on a stray cat that happened to get too close to the plant.
With his tail between his legs, he ran away from her, from her balcony, from her warmth, from what he witnessed. He could almost see the bright blush on her cheeks when he closed his eyes, how her lips parted as she awaited his kiss. Grunting as his thoughts strayed to a dangerous path, he stopped on a random, lone rooftop, before glancing back to the place he was escaping from.
He didn't want to leave, not like this. He didn't have the right to feel like this. How could he let it get between the two? Hadn't she gone through the same when he had chosen someone else? The traitorous feeling rose up in him as he tried to banish it away. Perhaps all he needed was time, but how much more time could they buy? He was a superhero, and he lived each day like the last. Did they really have time enough for him to be dancing around her like this? For her he was willing to wait an eternity, but would time wait for them? He knew the clear answer to that. It was a redundant no.
So, turning around, he breathed in deeply, readying himself as walked back leisurely to the place that felt more like a home than his father's mansion ever could. He'd wait for her to come up from her room, he didn't think he could bear to see a repeat of what he saw. He knew she had heard him, he couldn't deny his princess' intelligence, she'd decipher him in a second.
Standing on the building opposite the bakery's, he saw as the light stayed on. A few minutes later, a head peeked out from the skylight. He half-expected her to go back in once she found out he wasn't there, but he felt shocked when she completely stood up on the balcony and sat on the lounge chair.
Was she waiting for him to come back? The action brought an aching want and warmth to his chest. His body ached to be around her, to just be able to hear her laugh. He stayed close to the shadows as he approached her balcony, trying to stay hidden as much as possible.
As he approached her, a smile involuntarily graced his lips, seeing her just sitting there staring at the moon as she waited for him was just too much for his heart.
"Waiting for someone?" She whirled in the direction his voice came from, standing up from the chair when she couldn't see him, his figure still hidden by the dark.
"Chat? You better come out here before I kill you." He winced at her words, he could almost feel the honesty in her words.
"Sorry about the plant." He slowly came into the light, letting her finally see him. She crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't care about the plant, besides it survived the fall, it'll be fine."
"Okay, uhh-" he went to tell her that he'd missed her when he started wondering whether Luka was still in the house, he didn't want to ask, he'd prefer to bite his tongue out than have to ask, but he knew how to be rational. "Is Luka still here?"
"No, I made him go back home under the excuse of it being late," she smiled lightly as she uncrossed her arms, "and needing to feed a stray cat."
"Why did you lie?" She shrugged, turning her face away from him, although he could still see the small blush that stained her cheeks.
"He was going to check the balcony and I didn't want him to find you here." So she didn't want her boyfriend to find out she saw another guy in her room on the regular. He mentally winced now that he worded it out that way, it didn't sound all that innocent, much less if they didn't understand their friendship.
"Why not? Don't want him to know we're friends?" She looked at him startled, shaking her head as she scrambled her words.
"N-No! I just, if someone finds out we're friends, we wouldn't be able to meet like this, it'd be dangerous, for both of us." He hated to admit he hadn't thought of that. Ladybug would've realized this problem too. Their friendship was his weakness, but his love for her was even more of a downfall.
"Then we won't let anyone find out, ever. I want to be with you, in your room together for as long as possible. I won't let anything come between that." Her eyes widened at his words, and he became awfully aware that his words had come dangerously close to a confession, but he couldn't find it in himself to take the words back. "Not even Hawkmoth can make me stay away from you. I want to be in your life any way I can." He walked closer to her, enjoying her features until her eyes started to water and her lips trembled.
"Why are you crying?" He lifted his hand to clear her tears, holding her face delicately with his gloved hand.
"I just, I've never been told something like that." She looked up at him with a soft smile, tears streaming down her face as she leaned up at him, lips connecting softly with his cheek. Her lips felt searing hot, leaving a brand on his skin as she pulled away.
He pulled her into a hug, cradling her head into his chest as he poised his face unto the nook of her neck, softly inhaling her sweet scent. Pulling away, he cleared the last of her tears as he pulled her into her room only to be met with resistance.
"Is there something wrong?" He looked back at her, a shadow looming over her face, obscuring her eyes.
"Why didn't you come to visit for so long? I missed you, you know?"
"I'm sorry, I just had a lot on my mind." Biting his lip, he drew closer to her, lifting her head up so that he could gaze into her eyes.
"Last time you were here you left in such a hurry that I was scared I'd said something wrong. Did I say or do something wrong?" Grabbing her face between his gloved hands, he leaned his forehead against hers.
"You did nothing wrong, I swear. I just needed to work some things out, okay? You have to believe me." She nodded nimbly, grabbing onto his wrists as they stayed close to each other, the ghost of a smile on her lips. A few seconds passed before he felt the need to put some space between them, it was becoming a tad too much for his heart to be so close to her.
Glancing down at the petite girl, his heart soared when he registered the bright blush on her cheeks. So, pulling her into her room, he carefully wandered down her loft, pulling her alongside him.
"Do you want to watch a movie? Or play some games?" She shook her head, before sitting down on the floor after placing a cushion.
"No, I've been playing all day. Come here, let's just talk." She patted next to her as an invitation, placing a cushion as well so he could be comfortable. He approached where she sat, looking down at her as she looked up at him expectantly.
Sitting down, he turned his body to face her. "What do you want to talk about?"
"What have you been up to lately? You must've been very busy if you couldn't visit me." He pursed his lips as he tried to come up with an answer, truthfully he hadn't been particularly busy, just the usual photoshoot and such.
He didn't want to lie to her, not on this. He knew how long-winded and carried away a small lie could get, "I haven't been more busy than usual. I was just thinking some things over, is all."
"I could've helped you. I may be helpless when it comes to love but I'm pretty good at giving life advice." She pouted cutely in a manner that made his heart skip a beat.
"I just, it was about my own love life, and I obviously can't say much… so yeah, that was why." His voice dimmed as he went on, her eyes widening in understanding. A compassionate look crossed her features before she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Did your girlfriend break up with you because you suck at puns?" He shot her an annoyed look, pushing her traitorous hand away before pouting.
"My puns are cat-mazing." He grinned down at her, enjoying the way her nose scrunched up at his joke.
'God, that was awful. Did you tell those kinds of puns to your girlfriend?" He grinned, leaning a bit closer to her before slinging his arm across her shoulder.
"Nope, I only say these puns to you and Ladybug." He glanced down at the girl that was so close to him, voice lowering as he answered honestly, "Only you."
He watched as a slight color came up to her cheeks as she pulled away from him, a nervous chuckle escaping her. "You're such a flirt, that's why she broke up with you."
"Who said anything about me breaking up with my girlfriend?" She thought over his question, mouth gaping as she realized he'd never admitted to being single now.
"Oh right, sorry." She turned away from him, hands on her cheeks in embarrassment. "Now, I'm embarrassed for jumping to conclusions." She laughed nervously, her voice dropping below a whisper as she mumbled the rest, but not low enough to where his ears wouldn't catch it, "Of course you wouldn't get broken up with, you're a great catch after all."
A smile graced his lips at hearing her say that she thought he was a great catch, it was the closest thing he was sure he'd hear from her, that could allude she ever thought of him in that way.
Feeling brave, he laid his head on her lap, glancing up at her face to gauge her reaction, hoping she wouldn't push him for his sudden move. She looked down at him with a brow raised but made no move to push him off of her lap. Satisfied, he made the move to get up, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable nor lose circulation on her legs.
Before he could lift himself completely, she pushed him down onto her lap, his head landing softly onto her soft thighs. Lifting her hand tentatively she landed her hand on his hair, pulling it away just a second later. He grabbed her hand, pulling it back over his hair, holding her hand there until she started threading her hands along through his soft, silky hair. The blond tresses falling through her fingers softly. They stayed like that for a few minutes, her hands lulling him into sleep as she continued caressing his head, occasionally giving him a bit of a massage on his scalp, releasing almost every bit of tension he had been feeling for the last week.
His eyes closed at the pleasant onslaught from her nimble fingers, a slight purr blooming from his chest at the motions. Neither of them seemed to care enough to address the rumble that came from him.
Opening his eyes, he noticed that she was staring at his face, hers so close he could almost imagine the brush of her breath against his skin. Her big blue eyes wandered his face, exploring his features so closely that it almost made him feel self-conscious. No one had ever stared at him like that from so close, he could almost feel his cheeks warming up behind the mask.
"What is it? Do I have something on my face?" She grunted something he didn't really understand before she pouted, lips so pink, plump, and tantalizing it took all of him not to reach up and kiss them. "It's just not fair." It's not fair how you have you have me so in love with you.
"What's not fair?" She dragged a finger along his mask, tracing the plain from his brow to his cheek, before going up to his forehead, following the trail down his nose, the touch leaving his skin on fire despite being just a tad ticklish. "Your skin is literally perfection, it's not fair."
"Your skin has no blemish either." She brought a hand up to her face, tracing along her nose bridge, nose scrunching up as she traced the path her freckles followed. "I have freckles."
"So? I think it's adorable, it fits you perfectly." He lifted his hand, letting his thumb follow the trail of faint freckles over her cheeks and nose bridge. She turned her face away, forcing his hand to fall down to his side, and suddenly he was afraid that he had crossed a line, but before he could say anything she turned towards him. "Thanks, I always thought they were too jarring against my skin, you know cause I'm so pale." A blush bloomed on her cheeks, making her freckles even more prominent. Biting her lip, she scrambled pushing him off her lap lightly, standing up quickly to head to her desk.
"How about we play?" He pouted at her, he would've preferred to keep talking about how she was the most beautiful thing he knew though.
"Weren't you too tired to play?" Chucking a controller to his head, he swiftly avoided being hit in the face as he grabbed the controller mid-air. "Careful with the goods, Princess. It'd be a cat-astrophe if you were to hit such a handsome face. All the girls in Paris would surely mourn such a loss. Probably even some boys too." He winked at her when she threw him a glare
"You're incorrigible." He approached the desk, momentarily remembering what he had seen here just a few hours ago, pushing the bitter feeling away as his throat tightened and bile rose from his empty stomach. "Besides, you're Chat Noir, I knew you could catch it."
"What if I hadn't?" She shrugged nonchalantly, turning away from him to inconspicuously hide her blush.
"I guess I would've had to help you nurse your injury, I don't want Ladybug nor 'half of Paris' to come for my head, thanks." He chuckled as he sat down on his designated game/movie chair. Dang it, now I'm regretting catching it. "Don't even think about not catching it next time though, I'll kill you if my controller breaks."
"I wouldn't dare to do such a thing, Princess. You know it." She smirked at him, as the two picked out their characters.
"I'm saying it because I know you, Kitty." His heart swelled at her nickname for him, not having heard it for far too long, a stupid grin overtaking his face.
… … … … … … … … … …
An hour after Chat had left for that night, Marinette stayed awake on her bed staring up at her skylight. "Tikki?"
"Yes, Marinette?" her kwami landed on her chest, looking down at her as she breathed in deeply.
"I just, don't you think Chat was different today, he seemed so much gentle." Tikki smiled at her holder, before lying down with her head on top of her arms.
"He did." Marinette blushed as she remembered the way he had pressed his forehead against hers to appease her tears. She didn't even know what had come over her, just the thought of never seeing him again as Marinette made her blood run cold.
"He mentioned Luka too," a gasp escaped her as she remembered the position Luka and her had been when she had heard the pot crash into the ground, "Tikki, do you think he saw Luka and me?" She groaned in embarrassment, bringing her hands up to her face to at least try to cover her growing blush. Tikki giggled at her reaction, seemingly amused by her suffering.
"If he did, he definitely acted unaffected by it. I guess he's done more with his girlfriend if that seems like nothing to him." She grumbled as she imagined her partner getting intimate with someone else, almost gagging as her mind wandered too much. That was something she didn't even want to delve into.
Kicking her blanket in frustration, one that she didn't even know where it came from, she moved to the side after letting Tikki fly away from danger. Closing her eyes, she tried forcing herself to fall asleep.
That night, sleep came later than usual.
Let me know what you guys think! Do you think Marinette is well on her way to figuring out her feelings or what? What do you think she'll do with Luka?