I realized after I published the last chapter that I kinda cheated you guys out of actual content. I mean, it takes me, what, half a year to update and then I spend half the time ranting about tampons? Plus it was pretty short to begin with, and looking back on it, the ending in particular felt rushed...

SOOOOO to make it up to y'all, here's an early(ish), fluff-filled chapter, just for you! Enjoy!

Marinette sat at the desk in her bedroom, tapping a pen against her lips as she thought. The latest akuma had left her deeply troubled, and she had several questions forming in her mind about the experience.

Number one: Where had Adrien gone? After running out of the classroom, he'd seemed to fall off the face of the planet, not reappearing until after she'd already returned to the classroom. The excuse he'd given Miss Bustier was that he'd had to pee and couldn't hold it until the akuma was defeated, so he locked himself in the bathroom. Marinette didn't buy it. And to make matters more confusing, Chat Noir had seemed strangely certain of his safety.

Two: Why had Chat paid such attention to her safety in particular? Surely he would have thought she'd return to normal when Ladybug used her powers to fix things. Of course, she never would have if Chat hadn't woken her up, but he didn't know that.

Three: Or did he? Was it by a stroke of luck that he'd thought to wake her, or did he somehow know it was necessary? He didn't seem all that surprised when he caught her in the hall after she'd just said she was on her way to the collège. Then again, if he'd known Marinette and Ladybug were one and the same, he wouldn't have wondered why she (Ladybug) was so late. Unless he was pretending so that I wouldn't be suspicious.

And finally: Why did Chat look so defeated after they'd beaten the akuma? Ladybug had immediately run into the nearest empty classroom to transform back, then sought out Miss Bustier to make sure she was alright. She'd found her teacher among the crowds of students and staff gathering in the cafeteria, where the akuma had been defeated just minutes before, and where Chat was still standing. She'd been taken aback by his solemn expression, but didn't have long to dwell on it before he'd disappeared, leaving her thoroughly confused and slightly concerned.

Why is it that whenever Chat is acting weird, Adrien acts weird too? Marinette wondered. I swear, the only normal guy I know is Nino.

She sat up suddenly, mouth agape. Nino! I bet he knows what's going on. She checked the time on her phone. 9:45 pm. He's probably asleep by now. I'll have to wait until school tomorrow.

She was about to turn in for the night herself when she heard a familiar tapping. Oh jeez. She looked down at her pajamas self-consciously. She wasn't exactly prepared for company, but as the tapping became more incessant, she decided it didn't really matter.

She climbed up the stairs to the skylight door, expecting to find Chat Noir grinning down at her through the glass.

"Is it Chat, Marinette?" Tikki asked, yawning from the desk where she'd been asleep just moments before.

"No..." Marinette frowned, wondering at her own disappointment. "It was just the rain."

She stared out through the glass a moment longer before grabbing an umbrella and climbing out, offering no explanation to Tikki before leaving. It's not like I'm going anywhere.

Unfolding her umbrella and leaning against the railing, Marinette stared out at the night. She listened to the rain tapping against her umbrella and breathed a sigh. The wind bit at her skin, but she didn't mind it so much. She was beginning to feel a bit suffocated anyway.

She wondered, as she often did, what Adrien was doing right now. Probably sleeping. Still, it was comforting to know there was someone else out there. At the moment, she felt as if she were the only person in the world. It was a lonely feeling.

"Paw-don me, Miss."

Marinette jumped, whipping around to face him. "Chat Noir!"

The cat in question smiled at her, but it was lacking his usual exuberance. He was balancing on the railing in a crouch, his knees pulled against his chest, his tail-belt-thing swinging over the edge. He tilted his head to the side. "Didn't mean to startle mew."

Marinette exhaled, her empty hand moving over her heart. It was beating all too quickly, and she feared the reason wasn't just surprise. "No, it's fine, I..." She turned away, feeling embarrassed, though she couldn't discern why. "I just wasn't expecting you, that's all."

"Sorry." He was silent for a moment. "I know it's a bit indecent for me to be visiting so late, but..."

She turned back to face him. "Couldn't you sleep, Chat Noir?"

He grinned playfully. "Not without seeing my purr-incess."

She giggled. "Don't purr-crastinate, kitty. What are you really here for?"

Even though she'd asked him, she was still a bit disappointed when he seemed to sober up. "I wanted to...er, I wanted to ask you..." He looked away, his ears flattening a bit. "What were you doing outside of your classroom during the akuma attack?"

She blinked in surprise. "Um, well...I was in the bathroom when I heard the first scream, and I went to check it out."

He glared at her. "We both know that's not true."

Marinette glared right back. "We do?"

Chat seemed to lose momentum for a second. "I--I ran into Adrien Agreste, and he told me you tried to leave before he did." He frowned. "Stop dodging the question."

She hugged her arms to her chest, holding her umbrella close to her body. She knew she didn't have to answer, but she did anyway. "I was worried...about my friend, Adrien. And my teacher," she added as an afterthought.

It wasn't a total lie; she really had been worried.

Chat stared at her. She couldn't read his expression. "You were worried about m--about him?"

"O-of course." She hugged herself tighter, feeling self-conscious. "He's...special to me."

"Special how?"

She blushed, glaring at him. "Don't make fun of me."

He stepped down from the railing. "I'm not making fun of you; I really want to know."

"You know how," she pouted. "Don't make me say it."

He stepped closer, holding his hands out in front of him as if to show that he was unarmed. "I'm not going to make fun of you, I promise. Just please, tell me what you mean."

She sighed, looking anywhere but at him. "I...I like him. Like, as more than a friend."

Chat was silent for so long, Marinette began to wonder if he'd heard her. "Please say something," she said eventually, still refusing to meet his eyes.

"...You really like him that much, huh?"

She swallowed, trying to gauge his reaction without meeting his eyes. "I...Yes."

"How...how do you feel about me?"

Caught off guard, she looked up. He was wearing the same expression he'd been when they'd defeated the akuma, only directed at her. She felt her face heat up, but something about his expression made her unable or unwilling to become a stuttering mess, as she normally would. She had to take this seriously.

"Honestly, Chat, I don't know." She paused to weigh his expression, then continued, "I consider you to be a good friend of mine--more than you know--but I'm just not sure I want anything more right now."

Chat laughed, but it sounded a bit pained. "That's...that's interesting."

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine, it's just...nothing."

He didn't look too terribly sad, but she felt guilty still, as if she were lying to him. "Alright," she relented, "maybe I've thought about it."

"About what?"

"You and me."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Me and you?"

She scoffed. "Oh, like you've never thought about it."

"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't." He smirked. "But you definitely have."

"Please. You kissed me."

She flushed at the memory. It was a night strikingly similar to this one, she realized. The only difference was that she had an umbrella.

"I bet you're reliving it," Chat said knowingly.

"I'm not--I bet you're reliving it!"

"You're blushing."

"I not am--er--am not!"

It was only in Chat's silence she realized how close they'd grown. He looked so serious, it almost made her uncomfortable, but in a really good way. He reached out slowly for the umbrella, and their hands brushed as she let him take it from her. In the back of her mind, Marinette distinctly remembered hearing a thunderclap, but it didn't matter, because they were kissing again, and Marinette couldn't recall for the life of her who started it this time.

Chat was wet but warm, and he smelled divine--like expensive shampoo and a hint of something else, something more familiar that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She hadn't had enough time to notice it the last time they kissed since it hadn't lasted very long, but this one was going on and on. When they finally broke apart to catch their breath, neither one of them moved away; they just stood with their bodies pressed together, practically breathing into each other's mouths.

"Marinette," Chat whispered, "I...I have something I need to tell you."

Right now? she wanted to ask, but she kept quiet.

"Marinette?"

SHIT! Marinette shoved Chat away, eyes flying to the skylight door, which Tikki had just phased through. Tikki blinked at the couple, mouthing a tiny Oh and then disappearing back inside, but the damage was done. Chat looked over his shoulder at the door, then back to Marinette.

"Who...?" He trailed off, bewildered. "Who was that?"

"Wh-who was what? I hidn't dear anything--er--"

"Of course you did. You pushed me away, like you were afraid someone was coming."

"Oh, that..." She laughed forcibly, scrambling to find an excuse. "That was just my little cousin," she said quickly. "She's staying with us for a few days, so you should probably go inside. I probably go inside, I mean. You should just...go."

"Right, of course." He stared at her for a moment, and she was surprised at the tension between them, even after her spaz. "This umbrella," he murmured. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh..."

This was the umbrella Adrien had given her, she realized. She'd put it next to the balcony door the last time she'd been out here with Chat, maybe because she knew--or hoped--she'd be needing it again. It hadn't even occured to her it was the same one.

"A...A friend gave it to me."

Chat grinned at her with a smugness she didn't quite understand. "Just a friend, huh?" He chuckled. "Right."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Chat leaned in, and Marinette closed her eyes, savoring the proximity. He kissed her on the cheek, catching the corner of her lips with his. He pulled away, edging backward, his eyes running intensely over her body. She was surprised at the flush on his cheeks, and was even more surprised when he stumbled backward and fell over the railing.

"Chat!"

She ran to the side of the balcony, leaning over the rail to spot him. He was laying flat on the ground, but seemed relatively unharmed. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God he was transformed, she thought.

"Are you okay?" she asked anyway.

"I'm good," he called up to her. "J-just, uh, a little bruised."

Even from above and in the dark, she could see his blush. He stood and brushed himself off before waving goodbye. She giggled and waved back, and her eyes never left him as he disappeared into the night.

Aw. ;)