Marinette glanced out her window, it was raining heavily outside and it seemed like the storm was picking up. Tikki was sleeping peacefully in a bed she made for her, hidden on her shelf. It was 3:00 in the afternoon but the sky was gray and dark.
At 24, Marinette finally moved out of her parents' bakery and into her own place. Her new apartment was decently sized and cozy, but what sealed the deal was the balcony that led directly into her room. She will vehemently deny to anyone, including her kwami that she liked the balcony because of Chat Noir and his visits, and will instead say that it's because of her being Ladybug.
Over the years, the feline kept popping in to check on her and kept her company. Which was very welcome because as thankful as she was for the freedom moving out gave her, it can get a little lonely at times.
Their bond is stronger than ever, and it both amazes, and makes her jealous that he shows Marinette a soft and easily flustered side that Ladybug doesn't get to see.
She was about to turn around when she caught a flash of black, leaping from roof to roof. What is that stupid cat doing out in this storm?
She immediately scrambled to go find an umbrella—not really caring which one she grabbed—slid her glass door open, and stepped out onto the balcony.
"Chat Noir! Get your whiskers over here right this second!" She hollered at him like a parent about to lecture their child.
He turned his head her way and with a sheepish grin, leaped onto her balcony. He had the decency to look ashamed while he lowered his gaze and stared at his boots.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. And without missing a beat, rushed to her closet to grab some towels that the hero can use to dry himself off. She handed them to him and he uttered a quick thanks to her before proceeding to wipe his suit dry.
She noticed that he was staring at her umbrella—the one Adrien gave her—which was left on the floor, as he wiped himself down, but she paid him no mind.
She once again turned to the closet and took out the black hoodie, his black hoodie, cargo pants, and the mask she had made for him. A few months back, she had the idea of making him a Chat Noir themed outfit and mask for him to use when he's just lounging around her apartment so Plagg can take a break. The hoodie and cargo pants were in his color—black with green piping, and the mask was almost an exact replica of his hero mask.
Once he detransformed and changed behind the screen she had in her room, she gestured to Plagg that there was cheese for him in her fridge and that he should feel free to help himself. The kwami of destruction just grinned at her cheekily before zipping off. It was endearing.
She asked Chat to sit down in front of her vanity and she proceeded to dry his hair with a towel, occasionally raking her fingers through his scalp, just the way he liked it. There was no doubt in her mind that had he been suited up, he'd be purring up a storm. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her unintentional pun.
Once that was arranged and done, she placed her hands on her hips and leveled him with a glare. He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck, an action that strikes her as familiar but she can't seem to put a finger on why? She just chalked it up to the fact that she's seen him do the same thing multiple times, and brushed the nagging feeling off.
"Why were you out there Chat Noir? It's storming out there." She used the tactic her parents used of using her full name when she did something wrong.
"I'm sorry, Princess. I was out on patrol and I forgot that it was supposed to storm today. I was on my way home, I promise!"
That was a lie, she cleared all of their scheduled patrols for the whole week because of the weather forecasts. Something definitely happened that caused him to go on a run to clear his head. But Marinette couldn't exactly debunk his claim, because she wasn't supposed to know about their patrol schedules. So all she could offer was silent support.
She just sighed and cupped his cheek to turn his head and meet her eyes. She offered him a gentle smile. He looked relieved and returned the gesture.
"Would you like a cup of hot chocolate? It's pretty chilly today," She asked gently.
His eyes immediately lit up and she let out a giggle.
"Hot chocolate it is then, Kitty. Come." She took his hand and led the way to her kitchen. She reveled in the feeling of holding his bare hand without his black gloves in the way, and tightened her grip ever so slightly.
He sat down and waited patiently on the kitchen island as she started searching for the ingredients for her hot chocolate recipe.
A comfortable silence fell upon them as the rain continued to fall outside like soothing background music. The curtain of rain making the apartment feel cut off from the rest of the world and it was just them.
As she turned on the stove and put the saucepan in place, she heard him shuffle behind her. She was about to turn around when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist as he nuzzled her hair with his nose.
"Kitty?" She asked after a few moments.
His voice was quiet when he answered "Just let me hold you," His lips almost brushing the shell of her ear and his breath hot against her skin.
Her heart was doing summersaults so all she could do was nod. She placed her hands on top of his arms and traced little circles on the soft fabric of his hoodie with her thumbs.
As she continued making hot chocolate, he started humming a tune (Which, unbeknownst to her, was a tune Adrien learned on the piano that reminded him of her.) And swayed them gently to the rhythm.
It was when they enter this domestic routine that she felt like his wife. If you told her Adrien-obsessed, 14 year old self that, she would've blown up on you. But as the years passed, and as their bond as Marinette and Chat grew, she found that she didn't mind the feeling anymore. She welcomed the feeling of wanting to maybe be his.
But she wasn't his, and he wasn't hers. She had a chance with him as Ladybug and she blew it. He told her during patrol a few months ago that he fell head over heels in love with someone. Someone else. His eyes positively sparkled while talking about this mystery girl. He made her sound like an angel on earth. It sounded like they deserved each other. She just hopes the girl would see how amazing Chat Noir is soon, and not make the same mistake she did.
It was karma, she supposed, after she rejected him multiple times. Of course he'd move on. She encouraged him to do just that. She really was her own enemy sometimes. She sabotaged her own chance at happiness.
She took the moon for granted just because she was blinded by the sun. She loves Adrien yes, but she's not in love with him. Not anymore.
Adrien was like a bright sun, he lit up her life and chased the bad things away. But Chat was her moon, lighting the way in her darkest moments. He understood the bad things and he guided her back home to him.
She let her head flop back onto his shoulder and lifted her free hand to cup his cheek and pull him that tiny bit closer as he willingly leaned into her touch. They gazed into each other's eyes and she got lost in his forest green while he happily drowned in her deep blue.
The air was starting to get heavy with unsaid confessions and what they thought were unrequited feelings.
She turned the stove off and spun around, still caged in his arms. She looked into his eyes and gave him a small smile before placing her head on his chest and wrapping her own arms around his neck to return the embrace.
Chat resumed his humming and they shifted into a dancing position. With his hands on the small of her back, and hers behind his neck. They danced to his tune, they danced to the rain, and they danced to the hidden songs of their hearts that unwittingly beat in the same rhythm.
They didn't need to speak to communicate. And that's a fact that she always found amazing. They understood each other in a way that no one else could. They danced around her kitchen like they were born to do it.
She regretfully broke away from their hold after a while and walked back towards their abandoned drink. She smiled up at him.
"So, hot chocolate?" She grinned, hoping it didn't give away how flustered and giddy she was.
"Yes, please. Thank you, Princess." He looked at her with a gaze so tender, she was afraid she was going to melt.
She used pouring the drinks as an excuse to break eye contact and handed him the drink in his favorite mug—a mug that she gifted him for Christmas that said: "You've cat to be kitten me right meow". Needless to say, he was overjoyed when he saw it.
They sat at her dining table, enjoying the drinks and the warmth the other person gave them. They were perfectly content in silence and fleeting conversations.
They washed the mugs and retired to her bedroom, hand-in-hand. They just sat there on her bed, staring outside the window, hands still entwined. She knew he might not feel the same way, but she'll cherish the affection that he gives her.
He started drawing random patterns on her knuckles with his thumb before he lifted their intertwined fingers and placed a kiss on her hand. He said nothing as he lowered their hands and placed them on his lap.
Her heart was drumming in her ribcage so loudly, half the arrondissement must've heard it. While her stomach filled with the good kind of butterflies, all she could do was close her eyes and let her head fall back on the head board.
"Do you want to watch a movie, Kitty?" She broke the silence.
"No, can we..." He hesitated.
"Can we...?" She prompted, eyes still closed.
"Can we just cuddle? I want to hold you." His voice getting more bashful as he spoke.
She didn't answer, instead she just sank into her bed and opened her arms for him to roll into. He lit up and didn't waste a second before wrapping his arms around her waist once more. She gave his forehead a kiss before tucking his head under her chin. She ran her fingers through his soft, golden locks, feeling him melt into her touch.
"Chat?" She asked tentatively.
He hummed in acknowledgement, his hold on her waist tightened as he pulled her closer. He drew absentminded patterns on her back, slowly but steadily lulling her to sleep.
"If I fall asleep, promise me that you'll go home when the rain let's up, okay?"
His answer came muffled by her pink sweater, "With you, I am home." He said reverently, as if it was just a known fact in the universe.
She tried to ignore the way he made her heart pound harder than ever before and she ignored the way he made her cheeks flush bright red with his declaration. He doesn't need the baggage of her romantic feelings right now. He needs a friend he can rely on.
"Flatterer," She just settled for a retort.
She just felt him smile against her collarbone. Her eyelids felt heavy, and sleep beckoned her into it's depths. But before she could sink into unconsciousness, she thought she heard him whisper something along the lines of,
"When it comes to you? Never."