Okay! Another Valentine's Day Miraculous Ladybug one-shot! Here's what's going down:
Valentine's Day is coming up, and François-Dupont is having a formal dance. While Marinette wants to go, she has a wish that only Alya and the kwamis know about: she wants to go with her superhero partner and crush, Cat Noir!
But how will she ask without blowing her secret identity? What will happen if she gets turned down?
This is a Reverse Crush one-shot that contains elements from S4: Zoé being introduced and replacing Chloé on the team, Alya knowing Marinette's secret identity and having her Miraculous permanently, etc. In terms of timeline, this is pre-Sentibubbler.
"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Two teens screamed as they were slammed into a building wall by a huge gust of wind. Ladybug was on her back on the wall, right-side up, while Cat Noir was on his stomach, upside-down.
"Ugh..." Ladybug groaned as the two of them slid down the wall and onto the ground.
As they landed, Ladybug happened to fall on top of Cat Noir, and she was lying on his chest with hers. She looked up and looked him in the eyes. The sight of his handsome face, gorgeous cat-like eyes, and the muscles being shown off by his suit were causing her heart to explode.
Cat Noir smirked before saying, "I'm not exactly fond of this position, but I appreciate that you trust me enough to let me catch you when you fall, m'lady."
She blushed before the sound of high winds and thunder roared out. Her focus was brought back to the fight, where a recurring opponent of theirs, Stormy Weather, was hovering.
She'd gotten akumatized again, only this time she was stronger than her first akumatization, but not as strong as when she knocked the planet out of orbit to move it away from the sun. To make matters worse, she had a sentimonster, Thunderhead, which was a giant cumulonimbus cloud that was capable of creating enormous blasts of lightning and torrential rains.
Another girl was blasted over to them, landing on the ground in front of them. She had red horns on her head and was wearing a crimson and black suit. She was sparking with electricity, but it faded as she tried to stand.
"Ryuko! You okay?" Ladybug asked as she got up and helped Cat Noir stand.
"I'm fine, but fighting that girl with my sword alone isn't helping," Ryuko reported as she stood up and faced Ladybug. "She's strong."
"Your dragon friend isn't really weather-savvy, is she?" Stormy Weather mocked.
"What's the plan, Ladybug?" Ryuko questioned, her tone terse and annoyed.
Ladybug looked at the scene before taking out her yo-yo.
"Lucky Charm!" She shouted as her suit and hair changed and she created her tool to win the battle. In her hands landed...
"Rubber boots?" Cat Noir asked, confused. Ladybug looked around, and using her lucky vision, she saw the boots, Thunderhead, Ryuko, the Eiffel Tower, and Cat Noir light up.
"Got it! Follow me!" Ladybug said as she hooked the lightning rod onto her back and used her yo-yo to leave. The others were right behind her.
"Follow them!" Shadow Moth ordered from his lair.
"Thunderhead! Let's go!" Stormy Weather ordered as she and her sentimonster flew after the heroes.
Ladybug was at one of the tower legs, explaining everything.
"The Eiffel Tower itself has several lightning rods. The plan is that we bait Thunderhead into trying to blast Cat Noir here with all the lightning it's got, but all the lightning rods will bring the lightning down here safely. Ryuko, you're going to take that lightning in." Ladybug explained.
"But won't I get electrocuted?" Ryuko questioned.
"That's where the boots come in." Ladybug said, her confidence on her face.
Ryuko smiled when she realized what Ladybug was getting at.
Stormy Weather and Thunderhead were flying around when...
"Hey, Ice Queen!" Cat Noir shouted from the top of the tower, catching their attention. "Everyone ever told you that your cumulo-tive powers are making you look like a complete cumulonin-compoop?"
Ladybug had to stifle a giggle while Ryuko groaned. But Ladybug looked at Ryuko, gave her a nod, and the dragon put her sword against the Eiffel Tower.
Cat Noir started acting like the clown he was, including twerking and teasing, slapping his butt, and just being his annoying self.
"In fact, I'll bet Ryuko can make things fair a lot more than you can!" Cat Noir teased.
"Thunderhead! Blast him with all the lightning you have in you!" Stormy Weather ordered.
Thunderhead started sparking with lightning, and Cat noir took his cue to jump off the tower just as Thunderhead blasted a humongous lightning bolt. The lightning hit the lightning rods on the tower, and the electricity flowed down to the tower legs. Ryuko used her sword to absorb any errant lightning, meanwhile the rubber boots kept her from getting electrocuted.
"NOW!" Ladybug ordered.
"Water Dragon!" Ryuko shouted, turning into a giant water blast that was charged with the stray lightning. She flew right at Stormy Weather, dousing her with water, which powered the lightning, causing her to suffer a literal wet shock. Stormy Weather started screaming as she began to fall to the ground, dropping her parasol.
Ryuko changed back into solid form, grabbed the parasol, and threw it to the ground, shouting, "Cat Noir!"
"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir shouted as he caught the parasol in his right hand, causing it to disintegrate. The dark purple butterfly and royal blue feather flew out of the broken accessory, causing Stormy Weather to change back into Aurore Beauréal.
"Wind Dragon!" Ryuko shouted as she turned into a gust of wind to create a small tornado to gently lower Aurore to the ground.
Ladybug caught the akuma and amok into her yo-yo, released it, and then threw the boots into the air, causing her suit to change back, shouting, "Miraculous Ladybug!"
In a swarm of magic ladybugs, the whole city was repaired from the damages caused, the sentimonster disappeared, and all was well again.
The three heroes came together for their customary fist-bump, saying, "Pound it!"
Ladybug opened her yo-yo and took out a small charm. She approached Aurore, saying, "Aurore, take this Magical Charm. Have it on you at all times, so Shadow Moth won't be able to bother you anymore."
"Thank you, Ladybug." Aurore said, with Ladybug nodding.
The group of heroes took off to change back. As they were running the rooftops, with Ryuko behind them, Ladybug shyly asked her partner, "Chaton, can I talk to you after I get Ryuko's Miraculous back?"
"Sure." Cat Noir said.
Ladybug blushed, just as she and Ryuko jumped down into a nearby alley.
"Longg, open sky!" Ryuko said, changing back into Kagami Tsurugi. She took the choker off before handing it to Ladybug.
"Thanks. See you next time." Ladybug said before using her yo-yo to get back up to the roof.
"So, what's up, m'lady?" Cat Noir asked.
Ladybug was lost for words as she looked at him. His bright green cat-like eyes, his wild, blonde hair that made him look oh-so-sexy, the way his suit accentuated his musculature, and how the sun made the black on him shine... She was sure she was having heart palpitations at the sight of him.
"W-Well... Um, you know, Valentine's Day is coming up, and..." She began, blushing.
"Oh, that's right," Cat Noir said. "I'm certainly feeling the love in the air right about now."
Ladybug giggled before telling him, "I-I am, too, chaton... And... Well, maybe... We could... C-C-Could...!"
The sound of Cat Noir's ring beeping rang out, and she was brought back down to Earth as she looked at her partner.
Cat Noir's smile faded a bit before telling her, "My a-paw-logies, m'lady, but I'm afraid this will have to wait."
He gave her a two-finger salute before jumping off the rooftops. Ladybug gave a sad sigh, heard her earrings beep, and she used her yo-yo to leave.
Marinette was in the hallway at school, looking up at a flyer. It depicted a couple in formalwear, dancing under a pink, heart-shaped spotlight amongst a red background.
François-Dupont Valentine's Formal! February 14th from 7-10PM
Marinette sighed sadly. She had the perfect dress in mind for it, too.
"Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki asked from her purse.
"I've been better." Marinette admitted before looking back at the flyer.
"Hey, girl," Alya said as she approached Marinette from the right. She saw the flyer. "Oh, the Valentine's Formal! That's gonna be so much fun, with Nino and I going together!"
Marinette didn't answer, merely looking down.
Alya noticed before asking, "...What's wrong? Don't you wanna go?"
Marinette looked at Alya and said, "Well... I do, but..."
"Isn't there anyone you wanna go with?" Alya gently questioned.
Marinette looked around before noticing an empty classroom. She motioned for Alya to follow her so they could get some privacy. Marinette shut the door and moved out of sight.
"I do have someone I wanna ask to the dance, but he's... unattainable." Marinette admitted as she grew a downcast expression while Trixx and Tikki came out of hiding.
"Oh, I get it. You wanna go with your kitty-cat." Alya said, her cheeky smile on her face, with Trixx mirroring the expression.
Marinette nodded, her face going red at the notion.
"Call it an impossible wish, but the idea of dancing under a romantic light with Cat Noir in formalwear just sets my heart pounding with joy." Marinette said, a wistful, smitten look on her face.
Alya gave Marinette a sympathetic, albeit amused smile, and she said, "I used to think you were just a crazy fangirl for Cat Noir, but now I see why you like him."
"I know, Alya. If not for Cat Noir, not only would I have been screwed over by the villains multiple times, I... I probably would've given up being Ladybug right at the start," Marinette said as she remembered their first two battles with Stoneheart. "He encouraged me, made me believe in myself. That vote of confidence, the fact he had so much faith in me even after a mistake like that... How can I not fall in love?"
"I don't blame you," Alya laughed. "So, how are you gonna ask?"
"I was actually going to ask him as Ladybug today, but time got away from us." Marinette said.
"Probably a good thing, too," Tikki said. "If you asked him to the dance as Ladybug, it could've blown your cover."
"Yeah, I should've thought of that," Marinette admitted. "We don't need another Cat Blanc disaster."
Alya shuddered before asking, "Why not find a way to get in touch with him and ask as Marinette?"
"That's not a bad idea, but what if he turns me down? Or worse, I wind up finding out his secret identity? Then we'd need to use the Rabbit Miraculous to go back in time and reset the timeline, but time travel is never safe!" Marinette said, freaking out as usual.
"Girl, calm down," Alya said. "Best case scenario is that he does say yes and he finds a way to go to the dance with you without making a big scene. I won't make any posts about it on the Ladyblog, just to be safe. We can't give Marinette Dupain-Cheng a target on her back for Shadow Moth."
"Thanks, Alya," Marinette said, smiling. "I'm glad I confided in you about being Ladybug."
"No problem. And I'm sorry about not believing you about Lila at first. Now that I know that you're Ladybug, I know that that girl, just like Chloé, can't be trusted. Don't worry - Lila's interview is gone from the Ladyblog and I won't be trusting her again, babysitting or otherwise." Alya promised.
"Thank you. The best apology is changed behavior. I was right to tell you my secret." Marinette said.
Alya nodded before the girls walked out of the classroom and the kwamis went back into hiding.
"So, is Nino going to be the DJ for the dance?" Marinette asked.
"Naturally," Alya laughed. "A dark green tux would look good on him."
"And you definitely look foxy in orange. It's a hard color to pull off." Marinette added. The girls giggled.
In Mme. Bustier's homeroom, Adrien was sitting at his desk, looking at the flyer for the dance, and he looked a bit anxious. He sighed. He'd already had to be firm and calm when rejecting Chloé and Lila's advances and requests to go to the dance.
"Come on, kid, just ask her. It's not like the world's gonna end if she turns you down." Plagg said from inside the button-down shirt.
"Maybe so, Plagg, but there's always something that keeps me from telling her how I feel. Either my father and my unreasonable schedule, a super villain and/or sentimonster, Luka, something." Adrien sighed.
Plagg was about to respond, but he ducked back into hiding in Adrien's duffle bag. The blonde looked forward and saw his crush and her best friend walk into the classroom before sitting at their shared table behind him. In Adrien's eyes, there were pink bubbles and sparkles surrounding the pigtailed beauty, and he felt his heart accelerate at the sight of her.
'Now's my chance!' Adrien thought as he stood up and turned to the girls.
"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien said, a bit pink in the face.
"Oh, Adrien. Hi," Marinette greeted, albeit in a deflated tone. "What's up?"
"You heard about the Valentine's Day dance, right?" Adrien asked.
"Yeah, I did." Marinette said, her tone not changing.
"Well, I was thinking that maybe..." Adrien began, only to notice her mood. "What's the matter? Aren't you going? Please tell me you aren't grounded or anything!"
"It's not that, Adrien," Marinette said. "I..."
*BANG!* *RUMBLE!*
The building shook a bit like there was a minor earthquake, sounds of screams, hurried footsteps, and shouts of "super villain" rang out from the hallway. The three of them ran to the door to chance a look.
A sonic wave pulsated through the halls, shattering some of the windows, and the lights in both the classrooms and the hallways were brighter than the standard maximum. Marinette covered her eyes and ears, the lights and the loud volume grating on her brain.
"My ears!" Marinette screamed. Adrien was also trying to drown out the noise and lights, but he couldn't help but look at his crush in worry.
"Girl! Let me get you to the nurse's office!" Alya said, freaked out.
"I can take her!" Adrien offered, hopeful.
"No! Stay in here! Wait until Ladybug and Cat Noir show up!" Marinette said as she and Alya ran out the door and slammed it.
Adrien deflated a bit before saying, "See what I mean, Plagg? Every time I try to ask Marinette out!"
"Then wrap this fight up quickly so you can try again." Plagg advised, albeit in a more annoyed tone.
"Right. Plagg, claws out!" Adrien shouted as he transformed into Cat Noir before jumping onto the scene.
One Sheller (they had to call in Carapace), Lucky Charm (a pair of sunglasses that had earbuds fixed onto them), Miraculous Ladybug, and Magical Charm later, and Sensory Overload was taken care of.
Marinette was exhausted from two fights in one school day. Where did Shadow Moth get all that stamina? Deciding to take a break before she got home, she went to the park in front of the bakery and sat down on a bench. She looked up and saw all of the billboards with herself (as Ladybug) and Cat Noir kissing (which she sadly didn't remember due to the super villain), and gave a sad sigh. If only he returned her feelings for her as Ladybug.
"Are you feeling okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked.
"Not really, Tikki," Marinette admitted. "I just want to have my love story with Cat Noir. Sometimes I envy that Alya and Nino can be superheroes, know each other's secret identities, and be a couple."
"Marinette, you know that the ramifications of you and Cat Noir knowing each other's secret identities can literally bring about the end of the world. You've said that you still get nightmares about Cat Blanc. It's not the same with Alya and Nino. The stakes aren't nearly as high." Tikki gently reminded.
"That's true, but still... Can't a girl dream?" Marinette asked as she looked up at the billboards again. She sighed sadly.
She heard some sounds, and turned around to see some people setting up for a shoot of some kind. She recognized the photographer, Vincent, and saw Adrien was there, too.
"Looks like Adrien's got a photo shoot. I'd better get going." Marinette said as she shut her clutch before standing up to go back to the bakery.
Adrien, on the other hand, saw Marinette was leaving and he quickly dashed over to her.
"Hey! Marinette!" Adrien called.
"Adrien, hi," Marinette greeted. "Don't worry, I won't get in the way of your photoshoot."
"Wait! Stay!" Adrien said in a hurried tone as he grabbed her wrist.
Marinette looked at him in confusion.
Adrien swiftly pulled his hand back, asking, "Um... I mean, why don't you stay? You're an up-and-coming designer! Maybe you can watch so you can get inspiration for your own photoshoots?"
Marinette looked at the scene before saying, "You know, maybe that wouldn't hurt. I'd love to stay!"
Adrien smiled as he said, "Great! And while we're talking, there's something I gotta ask you."
"Sure. What is it?" Marinette asked.
"About the dance," Adrien elaborated. "I was wondering..."
"Signor Adrien!" Vincent shouted, interrupting. "Please, we need you on set. Your friend can sit and watch if she'd like."
"Duty calls." Adrien sighed.
"It's fine," Marinette said. "It'll be nice to watch another professional shoot."
Adrien smiled, his face pink, before the sound of a phone rang out. Marinette's phone.
Marinette took her device out and saw it was her mother. She picked up the call and said, "Hi, mom."
"Marinette, where are you? We're swamped here, with all the Valentine's Day treats selling like hotcakes!" Sabine said over the phone. "We need your help."
"Across the street, in the park," Marinette said. "I'll be right there."
She hung up the phone and said, "Sorry, Adrien. My parents need me."
"Don't worry about it. There will be other shoots." Adrien reassured.
"Thank you!" Marinette said as she planted a thank-you kiss on Adrien's cheek before running off... Unaware of the goofy, red-faced smile she'd given him.
After a few hours of helping her parents in the bakery, Marinette retreated to her bedroom and belly-flopped onto her bed. She groaned.
"You okay, Marinette?" Wayzz asked.
"I'm fine, Wayzz, just tired. Two villains in one day, helping my parents in the bakery... Ugh, such is the life of Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Marinette moaned.
"But that school formal dance sounds positively marvelous," Kaalki commented, as she and Pollen were flying around, pretending to dance. "The beautiful dresses and jewelry! Such glory! Such beauty!"
"Indeed, Kaalki! Our noble guardian could use a party." Pollen agreed.
"That's very sweet of you guys, but I can't completely relax. Shadow Moth does have a tendency to strike in large gatherings." Marinette said.
"True, but with it being the Day of Love, wouldn't all that positivity and love keep him at bay?" Ziggy questioned.
"One would think, but I remember my first Valentine's Day as Ladybug - I was about to confess my love to Cat Noir in a love letter, but I had to deal with Kim getting akumatized into Dark Cupid. Not only that, but I had to kiss Cat Noir while he was under Dark Cupid's influence, and he didn't even remember!" Marinette said as she looked at all the pictures of her beloved Cat Noir in her room.
"Yeah, that was messy." Tikki agreed.
"This year may be different," Daizzi commented, ever the optimist. "You never know."
Marinette nodded while once again looking at her Cat Noir pictures. She turned on her side before sighing.
The following day at school, Adrien had been dropped off by his bodyguard and was looking up at the school. Normally, he enjoyed going in and out of those doors, but today, his nerves were bundled up like he was in a giant parka.
He took a deep breath and started saying to himself, "Okay, Adrien, nothing is going to stop you from asking out the girl of your dreams. Just ask her, "Will you go to the Valentine's Day formal with me?" and then you'll be fine."
"But with your luck, something is gonna go off the rails. Again." Plagg snarked.
"Can it, Plagg!" Adrien hissed as he made to walk up the stairs to the school when he felt someone bump into him.
He turned around, and there was Marinette in all her flustered, rushed glory. She looked up and shook her head.
"Ack! Oh, Adrien, I'm so sorry!" Marinette said as she dusted herself off.
"Don't worry about it. You're fine..." Adrien assured, but he noticed Marinette wasn't in the best of moods. "Or are you?"
Marinette looked up and asked, "You noticed?"
"Yeah. You've seemed a bit down lately." Adrien admitted.
"Yeah... I guess I've been a bit blue these past few days." Marinette admitted.
"Blue? Blue how? Blue like your pretty blue eyes?" Adrien said before covering his mouth, blushing.
"Not really..." Marinette began, the comment about her eyes going over her head. "Truth is... It's about the school dance."
"Oh, yeah! About that! I was wondering if you were going." Adrien told her, remembering his goal.
"...Probably. Probably not. I'm not sure." Marinette confessed.
"Why not?" Adrien questioned, panicking on the inside.
Marinette looked at the billboard again before turning her face towards her feet.
"Do you not have an outfit for the dance?" Adrien asked, as unlikely as that was.
"Believe me, I have the perfect dress for it..." Marinette told him. "It's... The fact that it might not be worth it to go alone, if at all."
"Hasn't anyone asked you to go with them?" Adrien questioned, half hoping that nobody did.
"It's not that nobody's asked me. There's someone I wanna ask, but I'm too nervous." She explained.
Adrien's heart sank and his eyes narrowed a bit.
"Why haven't you asked? Whoever he is, he'd be the luckiest man alive to have you ask him." Adrien said, trying to swallow the pain.
"Thanks, Adrien, but I'm almost certain he's gonna turn me down. Especially since the chances of me even being able to ask is pretty much zero." Marinette began.
"What do you mean?" Adrien asked, a bit of hope fluttering in his heart. This could be the chance to be her hero! He would swoop in and save the beautiful princess from a lifetime of heartache and win her heart in the process!
"Well... The truth is, it's unrealistic." Marinette admitted.
Adrien gave her a confused look.
"Unrealistic how?" Adrien questioned.
Marinette blushed, and Adrien's heart fluttered. She was so cute!
"You know how I'm a fan of Cat Noir, right?" Marinette asked, a bit embarrassed.
"Yep." Adrien said, blushing at this.
Adrien distinctly remembered that day her parents' bakery was featured on "Fill My Shoes" and Troublemaker attacked. He saw the show live, and saw every single picture of Cat Noir Marinette had in her room. He was over the moon that she thought that highly of his super hero persona, especially since to him, that was more his true self than anything.
"It's... Kind of been a fantasy of mine to go to the school dance with him," Marinette confessed, a dreamy look on her face. "Just the two of us in formal clothing, dancing under the light of the full moon, surrounded by roses and gentle music."
"Sounds romantic." Adrien agreed, his face still red.
"I know," Marinette sighed. "But I know it isn't meant to be."
"Why would you say that?" Adrien asked.
"I'm just a normal girl with a normal life, I'm no superhero," Marinette said to him. "The only girl who would have a smidgeon of a chance with him is Ladybug, and... I don't hold a candle to her."
"Don't be ridiculous! Ladybug's great and all, but you're pretty special yourself." Adrien said, as he invited her to walk with him to class.
"Thanks," Marinette laughed before sighing. "But to be honest, Ladybug would've been screwed several times over if he wasn't around. I admit that there have been times where they've gotten by without him, but that's just it - getting by. When the chips are down, he's invaluable to the team."
Adrien's heart soared at the praise, and his face was turning completely red at the notion.
"Y-Yeah... I'm sure if he heard you tell him that, he'd be happy." Adrien said to her.
Marinette nodded in agreement before her face fell.
She said, "Thanks, but let's get real: even if I could go to the dance with Cat Noir, that would just give Shadow Moth enough reason to attack me or my family. That's not a risk I'm willing to take."
Adrien said to her, "But what if there was a way for you and Cat Noir to go together?"
"In this day and age where people have phones and can upload a photo or video online? The chances of us having any privacy is zilch," Marinette sighed. "I'm almost certain that Shadow Moth follows the Ladyblog."
"That's a good point," Adrien conceded as they got to the classroom. He smiled at her. "I hope you feel better, Marinette. You deserve to go to the dance with Cat Noir."
"Thank you." Marinette said as she sat behind him.
Adrien sat in his seat, a smile on his face. Ladybug wasn't the only one who had good ideas...
The evening of the formal, Marinette was up in her room, lying on her bed. The dance was in an hour, but Marinette wasn't in the mood for anything other than staring at the Cat Noir pictures on the walls.
"Marinette, are you sure you're not going to go?" Tikki asked. "You could use a little fun."
"I'm positive, Tikki," Marinette said. "It's not like my fantasy can be real. I have to-"
*RING RING*
Marinette saw her phone under her hand. Alya was calling. She picked up the phone and said, "Hey, Alya."
"Girl, I can't wait to see you in your dress at the formal tonight!" Alya giggled.
"Alya, truth is... I'm not going." Marinette said.
"Say what, girl?! You need a break every now and again, with... All your extracurriculars," Alya spoke. "What's stopping you?"
"The fact that I don't have a date." Marinette told her, her eyes still focused on Cat Noir's pictures.
"Whoever said you NEEDED a date? We can make it a Galentine's Day thing with the rest of the girls." Alya insisted.
Marinette was silent, thinking the situation over, and she said, "You know, you're right. Maybe a party will help me feel better. Can't have me getting akumatized. Just make sure your thing isn't out in the open."
"Got it. I'll have it elsewhere." Alya said, getting the hint: keep her Miraculous out of plain sight.
Marinette hung up the phone before getting down off her bed and opening her closet. She smiled at her creation before reaching out towards it.
Later at the school, Alya was standing around, looking for someone. She was wearing an orange lower calf empire dress with a draped skirt, a halter neckline, and it was accompanied by an orange bead necklace and bracelet set (she put her Miraculous, the Fox necklace, in her fanny pack where Trixx hid). She went to the DJ stand to talk to her boyfriend, Nino Lahiffe (who was also Carapace, the holder of the Turtle Miraculous). Like she predicted, he was wearing a dark green tuxedo.
"Hey, Nino!" Alya said as she approached.
"Babe, hi," Nino said as he received a kiss on his cheek from his girlfriend. "What's up?"
"I just wanted to ask about Adrien." Alya said, winking at him.
"Oh, I was just about to call him and ask when-" Nino began, only for his phone to alert him to a text message. "Speak of the devil, that's him now."
He took his phone out, looked at the message, and he groaned while his body slumped down.
"Really?! That damned old man of his!" Nino griped in rage.
"Let me guess: he's grounded and is being forced to practice one of his extracurriculars again?" Alya questioned.
"You know it." Nino sighed as he texted a sympathy message back to Adrien.
"Seriously?" Alya sighed. "That's so unfair!"
"I know, babe," Nino agreed. "And he missed his chance to ask Marinette to be his date to this dance."
Alya nodded. It was common knowledge within their group that Adrien had a massive crush on Marinette. It was to the point where he did some questionable things, like stealing her phone, somehow getting her entire schedule for the year, following her to Shanghai when she went there for her great uncle's birthday, or jealously trying to show off his nonexistent guitar skills to compete with Luka. The only person who didn't know about it was Marinette herself. After Alya had been filled in about Marinette's life as Ladybug, and therefore her feelings for Cat Noir, Alya stopped trying to play matchmaker between her and Adrien. Granted, she'd still go along with any of the others' schemes just to avoid suspicion from them.
"Speaking of Marinette, is she gonna show?" Nino asked.
"It took some convincing, but yes, she should be coming." Alya said as the rest of their group of gal pals (including Kagami in traditional kimono) came in, all in their formal clothing.
"Hey girls!" Alya greeted as she ran over to the girls.
"Hi!" Rose said.
"Seen Marinette?" Zoé asked.
"She should be on her way..." Alya said. They heard the door open, and they all turned to see Marinette. Their eyes widened and they smiled with quiet, awestruck gasps.
She was wearing a pale pink ballgown with subtle, sparkling white flowers throughout the skirt and in the bust area. There was a white satin sash with a heart buckle on it to look like a belt. It had a sweetheart neckline with cap-length petal sleeves. She was wearing pink ballet flats, her hair was in a slightly messy bun, and there was a pale pink rose holding it together. Her makeup was subtle, but effective.
"Wow..." Alya said. The girls ran over to Marinette, and they were all singing their praises over Marinette's work.
"You look beautiful!" "That dress is the bomb, girl!" "No wonder Audrey Bourgeois wanted to bring you to New York!" "Marinette, you're incredible!"
Marinette blushed, flattered by her friends words.
As the party got under way, Marinette was sitting in a chair with a glass of punch, meanwhile all her friends were pairing up and dancing to a slow number (Rose and Juleka; Ivan and Myléne; Alya and Nino). At the sight of all her friends dancing, she sighed in dismay, and hung her head to look into her punch.
The scene panned out to Marinette alone in a spotlight while everyone else was out in the dark. She had a very dismayed expression, similar to the breakdown that she had when she told Alya her secret.
'This sucks. I'm all alone at the Valentine's Day dance, sitting with a glass of punch. I'm sure Chloé will give me a hard time over this, too.' Marinette thought, sighing.
"You holding up alright?" A voice asked, and Marinette looked up to see Alya.
"Alya..." Marinette said.
Alya sat down next to Marinette before gently asking, "Still down that you're dateless and you couldn't ask you-know-who to the dance?"
Marinette nodded. She said, "I don't wanna be a wet blanket and all..."
"If Adrien were here, you two could've hung out for the night." Alya said with a shrug.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him at all. Did his father keep him from coming?" Marinette questioned.
Alya nodded and said, "And it sucks. The poor guy never gets a break from it."
Marinette shook her head before saying, "I get the feeling Kagami's mother is even worse."
"Girl, Valentine's is also called Singles Awareness Day, and love isn't limited to romantic love, either. Besides, didn't we say-" Alya began, but a major hush came over the dance. The music stopped and everyone was looking towards the door.
Marinette chanced a look, only for most of her peers to be blocking her view. She could hear hushed whispers. Marinette merely sighed and let her face fall again, ignoring the sounds of footsteps in the room.
"Girl, girl, girl, girl, GIRL!" Alya said, as she started shaking Marinette by the shoulder. "You gotta look up, like now!"
"Why, Alya? It's not like-" Marinette began, only for her eyes to go wide in shock.
Cat Noir, with his usual debonair smile that he'd give Ladybug, was standing before her. His hair seemed to be a little less wild and he was wearing a black fedora, his boots had been replaced with black dress shoes, and his suit looked more like a tux than normal. His bell was replaced with a green necktie to match his eyes, his gloves weren't as bulky as usual, and he was wearing a few other accessories (whether these were from an automatic adaptation due to the Miraculous, she wasn't sure), but she was aghast with joy.
"C-Cat Noir?! What are you doing here?!" Marinette asked.
"I heard through the grapevine that a fan of mine wanted me to be her date to her school dance. So, here I am, Purr-incess." He said as he took her hand and gave it a kiss.
Marinette was squealing on the inside, her heart was pounding, and her face was redder than an apple.
'Oh, if this is a dream, I do NOT wanna wake up!' Marinette internally screamed.
Everyone in the room started gasping, clamoring, and they were all taking out their devices to record, when Cat Noir stood up and put up a hand to stop the crowd.
"I a-paw-logize for turning up like this! But no pictures, videos, or ANYTHING on social media, please!" He said to the crowd. "I don't want any fodder for any rumor mills. We can't have Shadow Moth knowing about this and giving him incentive to attack Marinette or her family! Besides, I just wanna enjoy myself for the night. Is that clear, everyone?"
Everyone in the room started nodding and murmuring in agreement as they put their devices away.
"Thank you!" Cat Noir said.
He looked at the DJ stand where Nino was, and he asked, "Hey... Nino Lahiffe, right?"
"Yeah! Totally awesome that you're here, dude!" Nino said, delighted to see Cat Noir.
"Thank you. Now, I'm about to show Marinette here a good time, so would you mind putting on a song for us?" Cat Noir asked him.
"At your service, dude!" Nino said while giving him a salute.
"May I have this dance, ma princesse?" Cat Noir asked, taking his hand away and putting it over his heart and taking a knee.
"It'd be my honor!" Marinette squealed, acting like the stereotypical lovestruck fangirl. Cat Noir chuckled, then stood up, took Marinette's hand, and led her to the dance floor.
Cat Noir put his right hand on her back, and she did the same (not without struggling to contain her delight). He held her left hand in his free hand and lifted it just above the shoulder.
The rest of the guests made way for Marinette and Cat Noir. Nino shook his head in amused disbelief before switching his mix to a tango song.
They stood ramrod straight, their chins out, and smiling. Being the man, Cat Noir led the dance. He stepped forward with his left foot while Marinette went backwards with her right foot. Every step Cat Noir made, Marinette mirrored with the opposite foot. It didn't take long for the two of them to be completely in sync, not unlike when she was with him as Ladybug.
As the music picked up, their dance pace got more fluid and they began doing more complicated steps. Cat Noir swiveled Marinette, turning them around during their promenade. A few more steps of the tango, and Cat Noir traveled Marinette out by the arm before pulling her back in.
Marinette was looking at him, and she was the definition of smitten fangirl. Meanwhile, Cat Noir was giving Marinette a suave, disarming smile that she could only wish he would give to Ladybug. He covertly took out the pink rose binding Marinette's bun and put it in between his teeth. He smiled and winked at Marinette, and she giggled at the goofy gesture.
'Oh, this is bliss! Dancing with ma chaton, no super villains or sentimonsters! This is a dream come true!' Marinette thought as one could imagine hearts in her eyes.
They got into another promenade, and he swiftly dipped her down by the waist before bringing her back up. Cat Noir took Marinette by the waist and lifted her up, spinning her around before setting her down. They continued their tango, including swift turns and swivels, along with one or two promenades.
When the final note played, Cat Noir had dipped Marinette her down by her waist, the rose was still in his teeth, and he was smiling at her. Marinette returned the expression. He slowly, gently brought her back up.
Everyone erupted in applause, but it was all white noise to Marinette. She was hyperfocused on Cat Noir, who was giving her a sweet, loving smile. He took the rose out of his mouth and slipped it behind her ear.
"Shall we get out of here and have some purr-ivacy?" He suggested, winking at her. Marinette giggled and nodded in response. Cat Noir took her hand into his own before quickly leading her out of the dance. Marinette looked at her group, and with the exception of Alya, everyone seemed pretty surprised.
When they left the school, Cat Noir hugged Marinette by her waist with one arm and used his baton to get to the rooftop. He brought her a few rooftops over, and he set her down.
Before she could ask what was going on, she felt him give her a hug, and he put her face near his heart. He leaned in close to her ear, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin. She shivered in delight.
"You're so beautiful this evening, Purr-incess," He huskily whispered to her. Marinette could feel her knees turning into jelly. "I had so much fun dancing with you at the school. The night's not over, though."
He pulled away and let Marinette look around. When she saw where they were, she gave a silent gasp.
There were roses in vases, and rose petals scattered around. There was a small, bluetooth speaker at the end of the roof, and a small table with a few place settings, some slices of chocolate cake, and some chairs set up with a few candles. There was even some glasses of sparkling grape juice.
"Oh, chaton..." Marinette whispered in awe, about to cry tears of joy. "This is..."
Cat Noir merely put a finger to her lips gently hush her, causing her blush to go even deeper. He presented a bouquet of pink roses to her. She gasped in delight as she took the flowers into her hands.
"These are..." Marinette said. "This... This whole thing is beautiful!"
"I'm glad you like it," Cat Noir said as he took one flower from the bouquet and put it behind her ear. He took the rest the flowers and put them in a vase on the table. "Now... Shall we?"
He pulled the chair out and Marinette sat down. He pushed it in before sitting across from here.
Marinette started eating the cake in front of her and she said, "This is good."
"From what I've heard, he place I got it from isn't as good as your parents' stuff." Cat Noir said as he put a fork-full of cake in his mouth.
"Thanks." Marinette said, but as she looked out to the skyline, and saw the full moon above them, she grew a little said. This whole situation was a dream-come-true for Marinette, but was it weird that she'd feel a little more confident if she were Ladybug instead of Marinette right now? On the other hand...
Noticing, Cat Noir asked, "Is something the matter?"
"I just... Wouldn't you rather be here with Ladybug instead of just plain ol' me?" Marinette asked him. "I mean... She is your partner. And everyone ships you and her together."
"Don't get me wrong: I care about Ladybug a lot. She's easily my best friend," Cat Noir admitted, a little bit of guilt in his tone. "I'm fully aware of how she feels about me. And while I'm flattered, I can't return those feelings."
Marinette nodded in understanding, trying to ignore the hurt in her heart.
"Besides..." Cat Noir said as he put his fork down and took Marinette's hand into his own. He gave her a disarming, suave smile. "My heart's already been taken by a beautiful Princess. Believe me, there's nothing plain about you."
Marinette's heart pounded and she blushed, an awestruck, flattered expression on her face. After finishing their cake, Cat Noir took the plates and silverware away before taking out his baton. He opened it and pressed a button. The speaker started playing some quiet slow music.
"Marinette, would you share another dance with me?" He asked as he took Marinette's hand and kissed it.
Marinette nodded, and Cat Noir brought her to the dance floor. Marinette recognized the song as the same one she and Adrien danced to at Chloé's party and during their trip to New York City. Like before, Cat Noir put the two of them in a slow dance position (including his hand on her hip and the other holding her hand) and they started dancing to the music. The moon was acting like a spotlight for the two of them.
"You enjoying yourself?" He asked.
"Yes, chaton. I really am." Marinette confirmed.
He chuckled. They got closer and Marinette rested her head against his chest. He smiled and chuckled in response.
A little while in, Cat Noir put his arms around Marinette and pulled her even closer. He rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes. His hair brushing up against her temple made Marinette shiver with pleasure, and Cat Noir was all but addicted to the sweet scents of the bakery that would often linger on Marinette, combined with the flowery aromas of the shampoos and soaps she'd use. To Marinette, the scent of sandalwood and patchouli cologne wafted around him, like he was a grown young man ready to take on the world. They kept swaying to the music, with the scent of the flowers perfuming the air and helping them relax.
Marinette was on an emotional high, feeling safe and secure in Cat Noir's arms. She breathed a sigh of content, and she relished in the moment.
'Oh, Cat Noir, you have no idea how much you mean to me! If only I could tell you that I love you! How I can't be Ladybug without you by my side! If only Shadow Moth weren't a problem!' Marinette thought, a smile gracing her face.
Cat Noir couldn't help but look at his crush in his arms, and feeling his heart beat, he also breathed a happy sigh.
'Ma cherié Marinette, if only my father wasn't so demanding, or that I didn't have a secret identity to keep! Then I could tell you, as Adrien Agreste, how much I love you! And we could truly be together, mon coeur!' Cat Noir thought, gently holding her tighter.
Once the song stopped, they pulled away, but still looking each other in the eyes. The moonlight was highlighting their eyes. To Marinette, Cat Noir's peridot green eyes were shining brighter and sparkling like a gem. She could get lost in them. Cat Noir couldn't help but see Marinette's eyes as a beautiful, bright shade of cerulean. Or like a blue diamond twinkling in the dim light. Like her, he wanted to get lost in those jewels.
"This is amazing," Marinette said to him as she looked over the whole setup again. "This is one of the best nights of my life."
"I'm glad you like it." Cat Noir said to her.
"I do... But in all seriousness, Cat Noir: how did you know I wanted you to go with me to my school dance?" Marinette asked him.
"Ah-ah-ah," He said in a scolding tone, shaking his head. "Every cat's gotta have his secrets."
"On the subject of which..." Marinette began.
"Princess," He said to her, getting her attention. He was smiling wistfully, his arms still around her waist. "Listen, I know that it's too dangerous for anyone to know my secret identity, even Ladybug. If my Miraculous ended up in the wrong hands, period, never mind Shadow Moth, it would be catastrophic, pun intended."
Marinette stifled a laugh at his jokes. She looked back up at him.
"But... If I could tell anyone my secret identity... Even just the one person... It'd be you." Cat Noir told her.
Marinette blushed, her eyes wide, and she asked, "M-Me?!"
"Indeed, mon cher," He sighed, placing his forehead against hers. "I know you would keep my secret, and take me as I am."
Marinette, beginning to cry tears of joy, felt her heart swell. She knew in her heart that Cat Noir was right: she would keep his secret, and no matter who he was under the mask, she would accept him in his entirety. She didn't care - she was certain the man behind Cat Noir had to be a good person at his core. Master Fu wouldn't have trusted anyone else with the Black Cat Miraculous.
"Don't cry, ma douce," He whispered to her before pulling away. "And... I have a request."
"What is it?" Marinette asked.
"I... I wanna kiss you," He said, red in the face. "A kiss from you, ma Princesse, would be the ideal Valentine's Day present for me."
Marinette blushed, her heart stilled, and she said, "A-A-A kiss?! From me?!"
"Yes," He responded with a nod as he gently took her chin into his hand. The moonlight started to get brighter. "Like I said before, I care about Ladybug a lot, but I can't return her feelings. My heart already belongs to someone else: you. So... Please, grant me this one wish. Please kiss me."
Marinette, still crying happy tears, nodded and leaped up to kiss Cat Noir. Her lips landed right on his own. He yelped in surprise, but it turned into a passionate moan. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist and returned her passion, tangling his hand in her hair while making sure they breathed between kisses. Their hearts were on cloud nine, surrounded by flowers, music, and nothing else.
Once they had their fill of their kisses, they pulled away. Cat Noir looked at Marinette before saying, "Best. Kiss. Ever."
Marinette, her face still wet with happiness, nodded in agreement, before absently asking, "How long have we been out here?"
Cat Noir checked the clock on his stick, and his eyes bulged.
"Crap! We've been out here for that long? It's nearly 10PM!" Cat Noir said as he put his stick away. "Let me get you home, Princess."
He went and grabbed the flowers from the vase to give to Marinette, and he picked her up in a bridal carry. He started leaping across the rooftops to bring her back to the bakery.
When he got there, he dropped down behind the building, and he gently set her down.
"I had so much fun tonight, kitty," Marinette said, fingering the roses in hand. "It was a dream come true."
"I'm glad you had fun. I enjoyed it, too," Cat Noir said, kissing Marinette's cheek. "Now, you might wanna hurry up and get inside. It's gonna be a chilly one tonight."
"Thank you." Marinette said as she kissed him on his lips once more before heading inside her home. Cat Noir felt the heat on his lips, chuckled in satisfaction, and he took his stick before going up to the rooftops.
Marinette had a blissful night's sleep, and the next morning at school, she was sitting at her shared bench with Alya, holding one of the roses Cat Noir had gifted her.
"Girl, last night was insane! I still can't believe Cat Noir showed up to be your date! How'd he find out?" Alya asked, her voice a whisper.
"Don't know, don't care..." Marinette whispered, her face lovesick and dazed. Alya laughed.
Adrien came into the classroom and said, "Morning, guys. How was the dance?"
"Dude! You will not believe what happened last night!" Nino said as Adrien came and sat down next to him. "Cat Noir just showed up out of nowhere to the dance! It was crazy!"
"Crazy, huh? Do tell." Adrien asked as he chuckled and began to listen to Nino ramble about the dance.
Best idea he ever had.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE! HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW! KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING!