CHAPTER 12: King Jr. Meal

[PROMPT: Paper crowns]

Her partner wasn't lying when he'd told her he would treat her like a Queen. Well… a drunken Queen, at least.

She really felt like a Queen tonight. After the vintage-quality Champagne (she was sure it was a very expensive one), she was now drinking her beer through a straw while eating her King Jr. Meal (the girl at the drive-in must have thought she was crazy when she asked a straw for her beer but she didn't give a royal fuck). Plus, she got a tiny Chat Noir Chibi plushie with her kiddie meal, and a paper crown she could wear proudly on her head—best date ever.

Wait. Did she just admit that they were currently on a date?

She shrugged; she was too far gone to come up with that kind of conclusion right now. Her mind couldn't think straight, not with the amount of alcohol flowing through her veins and bemusing her brain.

Stumbling her way over her partner, she collapsed right next to him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder as she stuffed more french fries into her mouth.

"Is it good?" Chat Noir inquired, tilting his head to see her face.

She hummed. "You?"

"Purrfect," he purred. He grabbed his hamburger from the box and took a huge bite, his other hand fumbling to unfold his own crown before placing it on his head, both his cat ears holding it in place. "This king has junk food, a nice beer, and most of all, the prettiest Queen in the kingdom, how could it not be good, huh?" Indeed. It was unreal. Almost too good to be true. Almost was the key word.

"Flatterer." She poked him in the ribs and giggled.

"I'm only telling the truth," he stated before a burp escaped his mouth. "Oops!" He laughed and she could only laugh with him, all traces of shyness and self-restraint long gone.

She found the burp childishly cute.

"You deserve a better date than this." Chat smiled helplessly. "Candles, flowers, a gourmet meal…"

Oh, so he also thought it was a date—this cleared up the mystery. Wait. Had he been planning it all along?

"Next time," she heard herself whisper, her treacherous mouth catching up with her partner's words quicker than her brain, which found itself in an alcohol-induced coma.

"Next time?" He repeated, his tone dumbfounded. "Like, another day?"

She nodded shyly, looking up at him and when their eyes eventually met, they remained locked in an intense exchange.

There was a beat of silence as they just stared at each other. He was so close that she could smell the beer on his breath lingering underneath her nose. Or was it hers? Nevermind. The important fact was that he was actually very close, and that it didn't bother her. Not at all.

Her breath hitched when she saw his lips parting slowly… only for him to speak again, sadly halting their imminent contact. "You've got something, M'Lady."

Had his eyes always been so green and bright? A shiver ran down her spine as he leaned closer.

"Some-something?" she stumbled over her words.

"Yeah, there. In your hair." He pointed at the paper crown. "It looks very much like my crown. Did you steal it?"

"Not at all; a brave King in a black skin-tight suit got it for me."

"Oh yeah? Where is he?" He looked around, his head turning from left to right at a neck breaking speed. "I don't see him?"

She laughed louder, holding her belly as her abs hurt. She wasn't even sure her partner meant to be so funny but the champagne plus the beer made him all the more in her eyes.

"He's you, silly."

"Moi? Are you sure about that?" He raised a brow, his voice inquisitive.

"I'm sure!" She chuckled, poking a finger against the crown standing glorious on top of his head.

"Well, shame on me for not doing it right then. If I'm a King, I must ask you properly to be my Queen." He stood up, holding out his hand for her to do the same.

She forced herself to get up, wobbling a little on her legs, and almost fell backward on her butt when she saw him getting down on one knee. A gasp left her lips, echoing in the silent night whilst he took her shaking hand in his.

He cleared his throat, looking up at her with a serious expression. "M'Lady."

"Chaton," she whispered with a little tremor in her voice.

"If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast."

"Are you really making some kind of proposal with a pop song, you dork?" She tried to sound offended but it turned out she wasn't. So, what was the point of pretending when she was having so much fun? Her bottom lip twitched before she broke in a fit of laughter.

"Well, it fits with our "fancy" evening," he laughed along with her, and the shaking of his whole body caused his crown to fall to the ground. "Wait, sorry." He coughed and picked it up, replacing it on his head. "So, ahem… M'Lady, will you be the Queen of this handsome King?"

"I don't know… Will this King bring more beer?" Her lips stretched into a smirk that usually belonged on her partner's face; it looked like the silly kitty kept rubbing off on her.

"And a thousand King Jr. Meals if it's what the Lady wants." His sly grin matched hers.

"Then, yes. I will." She beamed at him. "I will be your Queen," she whispered, her voice unexpectedly thick with emotions. She pulled on his hand, forcing him to stand up. Rising on tiptoe, she then placed a soft kiss on his cheek, her lips tingling from the skin-to-skin warm touch.

When she backed up, they both ended up laughing their ass off, their beer breath filling the air around them, both unaware of what was actually going on.