Sweet Demon
Okay! A Demon!Adrien/Cat Noir one-shot for this Halloween!
Marinette's luck in love has never been the best, but it's not the worst, either. After overhearing her crush badmouthing her to the school's resident bitch, just days before the school's Halloween Dance, Marinette loses trust in herself and others when it comes to love.
While reading in the school library to distract herself, she comes upon a book that can supposedly let her summon a demon to grant her wishes...
This is inspired/based on a manga one-shot called "Sweetheart Devil". Hope you enjoy it.
François-Dupont Lycée, a high school in Paris, was decorated to the nines for Halloween. Paper bats and spiders hung from the ceiling, there were cobwebs on the walls, jack-o-lanterns in the corridors, and other decorations. There was a banner in the hallways that said, "François-Dupont Halloween Dance!"
In one particular classroom, there was a group of girls sitting at their desks, talking about it.
"You and Ivan are going together, right, Myléne?" Alya, a tan-skinned, hazel-eyed girl with glasses, and wavy, red hair, asked.
"Sure am. I may be mousy, but I know Ivan will be there for me during the dance." Myléne, a shorter girl with multicolored dreadlocks behind a bandana, and golden eyes mentioned.
"What about you, Alya?" Rose, a pixie-cut blonde with large blue eyes, wearing pink, asked.
"Nino and I are going together," Alya said. "He's also the DJ for the dance!"
"That's no surprise," Alix, a pink-haired girl wearing black asked. She looked around. "Anyone seen Marinette?"
"I haven't seen her for a while." Alya asked.
On cue, the door opened, and in came a girl with blue eyes, dark hair in pigtails, and she looked depressed.
"Girl, there you are!" Alya said as Marinette went to her seat. "You've been like this for days. What happened?"
Marinette responded, "It doesn't matter."
"Is Félix going to the dance with someone else?" Juleka, a girl with long, dark hair with purple streaks, mumbled.
That made Marinette stiffen up. She was about to cry again, saying, "Something like that… But it's not like I'm going to the dance anyway!"
She held back tears as she covered her face. The girls looked at each other in worry.
A few days ago…
Marinette was hiding behind one of the building walls, trying to work up the courage to talk to someone. She looked out from her hiding spot and saw him:
Félix Graham de Vanily. He was a sharp-dressed blonde with slicked blonde hair and green eyes.
'Okay Marinette, you can do this! Just… Ask him! The worst he can do is say "no", right?' Marinette thought as she started walking towards him.
"Félix?" Marinette prompted.
He looked at her and gave her a warm smile.
"Hi, Marinette." He said.
"So, um… The Halloween dance is coming up, and…" Marinette began, shuffling her feet.
"And?" Félix asked.
"I… Wanted to know if… You'd like to go together?" Marinette asked, her face completely red.
"Oh… Marinette, I am so sorry," Félix said, his tone sweet. "But I'm already going with someone else. It was very sweet of you to invite me, though."
Marinette looked at him, and she said, "Oh, I… Um, I figured as much. I… Sorry for bothering you."
As she walked away and was out of sight…
"Oh, the dance? I'm already going with Marinette…" He said.
Marinette hid before watching Félix talking with another classmate of hers: Lila Rossi.
She was in for a shock when Félix's face turned into a twisted, wicked smile, and he laughed maniacally.
"When hell freezes over!" He spat. "Who'd go with a girl like Marinette? Yeah, she's got a brain, but she's just a klutz! Wouldn't you say so, Lila?"
Marinette's heart turned to glass and it shattered. Her tear ducts were about to let a rip.
Lila giggled in agreement, before saying, "You're such a bad boy, Félix."
"You monster!" Marinette shouted, catching their attention.
Marinette, tears flowing like a river, was glaring them down, and she said, "I… I thought better of you, Félix!"
She ran off crying, not caring where she went.
Present Day…
Marinette knew that if she told her friends the entire truth, they either wouldn't believe her or give her a big, "We warned you" speech. She decided the best way to drown her sorrows was to read romance novels in the library. Just because she had rotten luck with love didn't mean she couldn't enjoy someone else's love story. She was carrying a huge stack of books in her arms.
Being the klutz she was, though, she tripped, slammed into another bookshelf, and all the books flew up. They all crashed down on Marinette before being scattered around her. She sighed, letting out silent tears, saying, "I really hate my life right now..."
Marinette began picking up the books, a book from the shelf above hit her on the head before landing in her lap. It had a holy cross on it, and Marinette looked at it in confusion. She turned it over and saw an inscription on the back.
A book to summon demons
Marinette shuddered, fear gripping her mind while thinking, 'Demons?!'
She opened it in curiosity before reading the brief on the inside of the cover, and she read aloud, "'A demon you summon to thee will grant you the wishes three'..."
At the word, shook her head before snapping the book shut. She awkwardly chuckling, "Demons, granting wishes? As if!"
'Wishes...' Marinette thought, the word stuck on her brain as she thought of all the possibilities.
Fighting climate change, ending wars and world hunger, and so much more. She also thought about wishing to become the premier fashion designer of her generation, maybe becoming fluent in Mandarin Chinese, or... In the deepest corner of her heart, find a way to get even with Félix for hurting her.
Marinette, deciding to indulge herself, opened the book and she recited the incantation to summon the demon. It wasn't in a language she recognized, so she wasn't sure if she was pronouncing the words correctly.
"...By the name of Marinette Dupain-Cheng..." Marinette said, finishing up. After about fifteen seconds of nothing happening and dead silence, she sighed, shut the book, and slid it away. "Figures... I look like an idiot now."
The book started glowing black, and Marinette looked at it, curious. It started shaking a bit before opening itself. The pages started flipping at lightning speed, and they landed on one blank page with a black cat paw on it. It started flashing green. In an instant, the black and green light got brighter, and Marinette had to cover her eyes with her arm.
She shouted as she felt violent wind blowing around her. It lasted what seemed like a half an hour. When it calmed down and the lights died, Marinette, breathing heavily, was still blocking her vision to let her eyes adjust.
"You called?" A masculine voice with a smiling tone to it said. Marinette snapped her face up from behind to look at who addressed her.
Standing before her was a youth that seemed around her age, with wild, blonde hair that had some black streaks in it, dressed head to toe in skin-tight black, he had a black mask framing green cat eyes, and he had fake cat ears on. His belt hung down behind him to resemble a tail, he had claws on his hands (one of which had a red rose in hand). He was looking at her with a smile.
Marinette rubbed her eyes before blinking and gawking at him.
"I'm the demon known as Cat Noir. You can also call me Adrien," He said with a gallant bow before taking Marinette's hand and placing a kiss on it. "It's nice to meet you."
Marinette looked at him as he put the rose behind her ear.
"And I'm Plagg, his familiar!" A small, floating, black cat creature said as it popped up on Cat Noir's head. "You look like you're in a bind. You requested a demon that specialized in despair and misfortune, right?"
Marinette, looking between the demon and the familiar, her mind went blank.
In response, she screamed, fell to her rear end, and scooted up against the bookshelf.
"Wha-Why-Whah-Wh-What on Earth?!" She squeaked, before smacking herself in the face.
"Why'd you just-?" Cat Noir asked.
"I gotta be dreaming! There's no way this is happening!" Marinette panicked, her hands balled against her head and close to hyperventilating, trembling, and sweating.
"Hey, hey, it's okay!" Cat Noir said, kneeling down and gently putting his hands on her shoulders. "You're okay. Now, just take some deep breaths with me, alright?"
Marinette, nodding, started breathing in sync with him. Marinette's mind was still racing a mile a minute with questions and fears, but once she calmed down, she managed to organize her thoughts.
After breathing in and out a little more, she said, "P-P...Please just... Go back into the book."
"Come again?" He asked, quirking a brow.
"It was an accident, summoning you," Marinette explained. "So, just go home."
"No, I can't! Why are you asking me to leave?" Cat Noir asked.
Once her head cleared, one problematic question stuck out in Marinette's mind.
'Last time I checked, don't demons take your soul when you make a deal with them?' Marinette thought, about to panic again before voicing, "Not my soul... Don't take it..."
Cat Noir gave an amused smile while Plagg chuckled, and Cat Noir responded to her, "You're worrying too much. I'll grant you any wish you want."
Remembering Félix's cruel words, Marinette started crying again, saying, "No! You're lying! Just like Félix!"
Cat Noir was taken aback at this statement, and Marinette continued to sob. He gave her a sad look before asking, "What do you mean?"
Marinette, looking up at Cat Noir, saw he had a hurt, curious expression on his face. Something in his eyes made her feel at ease.
"S-See… What happened was… I overheard my crush talking about me to another girl… The things he said were so nasty, and…" Marinette began, tears dropping during her explanation.
After telling him the whole story, Marinette hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
'This is humiliating, whining to a demon of all creatures! He must think I'm pathetic, just like Félix!' Marinette thought.
She felt a clawed hand on her face. It wasn't pinching her. In fact, it was a tender caress. She flinched a bit, but she opened her eyes and saw that Cat Noir was wiping her tears away with his hands, and he said, "That's horrible, what you went through…"
She looked into his eyes, and the two of them were silent for a long while. Marinette's mind went blank as she examined him, and he looked back at her. Her face went red.
"If I may give my opinion…" He spoke. Marinette absently gave a nod.
Cat Noir scowled, took his hand away from her face, and said, "What an asshole! That prick's got a lot of nerve, mistreating girls like that!"
Marinette, still crying a little, gave agreeing nods, and Cat Noir added, "There's gotta be something I can do…"
Marinette regained her senses and thinking, 'Wait, how can he be so good at talking to me?'
She shook her head before asking, "Wait, you don't mean using magic, do you?"
Instead of listening to her, Cat Noir snapped his fingers and said, "I have an idea!"
"Huh?!" Marinette asked, panicked.
He looked at Marinette and with a confident smile, he said to her, "Let's go to the dance together!"
"Come again?" Marinette asked.
"I'll make you the belle of the ball, and together, we'll take him down several pegs without having to waste any energy on him. The best revenge is moving on." He explained.
"Good thinking!" Plagg agreed.
Though cautious, Marinette was mesmerized with the demon before her. While her head was screaming at her to deny him, her gut was saying the opposite.
The inner turmoil was being drowned out by the sincere look in Cat Noir's eyes. Taken with him, she blankly responded, "…Okay."
"Alright! Now, for your first wish!" Cat Noir said. Marinette snapped out of it as she saw him reach for her face.
She slammed her eyes shut, and was about to panic, but she felt his claws in her hair. The sensation of her hairbands being pulled out was front and center, too. Marinette felt Adrien – or was it Cat Noir? – combing his fingers through her hair again and again. It felt good, but she couldn't understand why.
"Wow…" He said in a quiet whisper.
Marinette slowly opened her eyes up and saw that Cat Noir had taken the compact mirror from Marinette's bag and opened it up so she could see her reflection.
She held back an awestruck gasp. She saw her hair was down, and it was thicker, shinier, and silkier than it used to be.
"You're beautiful with your hair down, Marinette." Cat Noir praised.
Marinette looked at him, panic still on her face, and she thought, 'He did this?! What have I gotten myself into?!'
She hung her head, dreading the immediate future.
When Marinette got back from school…
"Why are you in my room?!" Marinette demanded, panicked. She was sitting on her loft bed while Cat Noir was down on the floor.
"We have a six-day contract, Marinette," Cat Noir explained. "I'll be with you at all times during then."
Marinette groaned, face-palming in defeat. She told him, "Well, you can't just follow me around like a shadow. It's gonna be inconvenient – what would people ask?"
"She's got a point, kid," Plagg added. "Humans tend to get judgmental and afraid of things they don't understand."
Cat Noir nodded in understanding. He looked around the bedroom, smiling at everything in there.
When he saw some of the sewing materials Marinette had, he said, "Your room is so cute. You like making clothes?"
Marinette shook her head to snap out of it, and she answered, "Y-Yeah… I want to be a fashion designer someday."
Looking at the incomplete dress that was on the mannequin, he smiled and said, "If this is what you can produce out of here, I can only imagine how incredible your work will be in the future."
Marinette looked at him as he fingered the hem of the dress, and she felt her mood dampen.
Looking up at her, Cat Noir asked, "What's wrong?"
"This… This is the dress I was planning on wearing to the dance," Marinette admitted. "I was hoping that… You know… Félix would like it."
Cat Noir's ears flattened at that. He put a hand on her shoulder and said, "That prick doesn't deserve your attention, Marinette."
Marinette was still looking at the dress before looking at the demon out of her peripheral vision, and asking, "You think?"
"No – I know." He said.
Marinette gave a smile. The pair were looking at each other, smiling, and slowly leaning in close. But footsteps were heard, startling them and breaking their reverie.
"Crap! It's my mom!" Marinette said in a panicked whisper.
"Marinette? Are you here?" Sabine, her mother, said from below.
Marinette, frantic, began looking around, hissing, "We can't let her see you!"
Cat Noir looked at the trap door/window above Marinette's bed, and he grabbed her wrist.
"Follow me!" He said, pointing to it. Marinette nodded, getting the idea.
When Sabine, a smaller, Chinese woman, opened the trap door to Marinette's room, she looked around, before asking, "Marinette's not home? I thought I heard her voice."
Above the building, Cat Noir was flying while holding Marinette like a princess. Said designer was flailing her arms and legs.
"Hold still!" Adrien chuckled. Marinette immediately latched on to him. She was breathing heavily, anxious, her heart racing.
"Don't worry. As long as we're up here, nobody will bother us." He promised.
"Bother us?" Marinette asked.
"You two can't go to this dance together if you can't dance." Plagg pointed out.
Marinette grew a puzzled expression, but Cat Noir started shifting her body. He dropped her legs, but instead of falling, Marinette seemed to be floating, just like him. She looked down, but Cat Noir lifted her chin so she would focus on him.
"Follow my lead." He said, winking at her.
Marinette dumbly nodded. They were soon in a slow-dance position, with Cat Noir holding one hand while his other was on her waist. She was blushing as she tried to get her position straight.
Music began playing out of thin air, and they began practicing a slow dance. But Marinette was stiff, not following the flow naturally.
"You're out of step with the tempo, Marinette!" Plagg barked. "You gotta match it!"
Marinette gave a stiff nod to the familiar.
"Marinette, just look at me." Cat Noir said, and Marinette looked him in the eyes. He was smiling at her, his eyes sparkling.
The warmth in his expression soothed Marinette's nerves, and she relaxed. She kept her eyes on him, and it didn't take long for her to get into it. As she felt his strong arms gently hold her, she began to feel as if they were dancing on a cloud (she was tempted to open her eyes and check if they were).
They kept dancing, and their movements were solid, as if they were seasoned professionals.
"You're amazing, Marinette," Adrien said to her. Marinette looked up at him, and saw he was still grinning at her. "Your dancing is so much like your designing – you're incredible at it! It's like you've been at this for years!"
Marinette's heart thumped, and she couldn't resist a blush or a smile. Looking at his face, there wasn't any nastiness in his expression. But there was still a niggling sense of suspicion in her mind.
'Why is he so kind?! What's his angle?' Marinette thought, her heart still pounding.
That evening, Marinette was in her pajamas, and tossing and turning on her bed, agitated by the day's events.
"Today's been insane…" Marinette muttered as she pressed a pillow to her face. She groaned.
She'd pinched herself a multitude of times, certain that Adrien, Cat Noir, whatever his name was, wasn't real. After seeing the red pinch marks on her arms, and feeling the pain from it, denying reality wasn't an option.
She pulled her pillow off her face and looked up to the sky through the skylight. She knew Cat Noir was up on the rooftop, stargazing. He was so kind to her, being supportive, and cheering her up. And it seemed so sincere. Her heart would throb whenever he made her laugh or praised her, and his looks didn't hurt, either.
But while her gut told her to have faith in him, her head was still lingering with doubts. Marinette had seen enough cartoons featuring demons to know that even though Cat Noir was acting like a sweetheart, there was an ulterior motive behind it.
She stood up, pushed the window up and crawled onto the balcony. She saw Cat Noir was perched on the railing, looking up at the stars.
"Hey," Marinette said, getting his attention. "Listen, Cat Noir… Adrien… Or, whatever you want me to call you."
"Either one is fine," He chuckled. "What's the matter?"
Marinette approached him before cutting to the chase, saying, "Listen, are you being this nice to me because you're going to take my soul afterwards?!"
He looked at her, his eyes wide. He saw Marinette was crying, but he couldn't answer.
"…Stop being this kind to me if you're only going to betray and hurt me once you're done," Marinette cried. "So tell me the truth: are you really going to take my soul once this contract's up?!"
Once she stopped to catch her breath, it was dead silent for an unbearable moment. Adrien sighed.
"Oh, that's what you're worried about?" Cat Noir asked, his tone somber and his ears flattening. "The whole "selling your soul to the devil" crap? It's not what you're thinking."
"What do you mean by that?" Marinette asked.
"I'll be taking what you hold most valuable as payment for the wishes. It could be anything, if it's the most precious thing to you. So, if your soul is what you value most, that's what I'll be taking." He explained.
Marinette started stammering at this revelation, wondering what Cat Noir would take from her. Her sewing machine, her friends, her parents, what could it be?!
"Calm down," Plagg said as he flew in front of Marinette. "It's not like Adrien actually wants to take anything from you."
Marinette looked at the creature before asking them, "Really? You don't?"
"No," Cat Noir confessed. "Since you have two wishes left, just don't use them up, and wait for the contract deadline to pass."
"Why? Why would you tell me that information?" Marinette asked.
"Because I don't like the idea of taking what's most important to you," Cat Noir said to her as a smile. "I don't think it's right. And I don't want to cause you any pain."
Marinette looked at him in awe as Cat Noir stood up and looked at the moon with a smile. Marinette saw the amazed, almost envious/happy expression on his face.
"Truth is, I've always found the human world fascinating," He admitted. "And I have so much respect for humans, too. The way they can create things to solve problems, how they can adapt to so many situations. They don't have magic or any powers like demons do, and yet they're so resourceful. They can take their experiences, learn from them, grow, change... It's incredible."
"You think so?" Marinette asked.
"Yeah, I do," He said, turning back to her with a smile. "So much so that I actually want to become a human!"
"Are you serious?" Marinette asked, awestruck.
"Sure am," Cat Noir agreed. "Being human… It's like a dream."
"Yeah, I think you're better suited to be human, too. You've never been true demon material, Adrien." Plagg laughed.
"I know," Cat Noir agreed while facing Marinette again. "That's why I want to make sure you're happy, Marinette."
Marinette looked at him, blushing.
"So, trust me, and let me make your time at the dance pure bliss!" Cat Noir said as he scooped Marinette up into a princess carry and brought her up into the sky to dance again.
She squealed, surprised, before hooking her arms around his neck. The two of them locked eyes, and Marinette felt her heart pound a little. She couldn't resist a smile.
"You're the weirdest demon I've ever met." Marinette laughed.
"Aren't I the only demon you've ever met?" He teased back.
"True." Marinette agreed. They went back to dancing.
She couldn't understand – whenever she was with Cat Noir, her heart felt lighter, and she felt so much better. Demon or not, it wasn't a sensation she could comprehend. It didn't matter, though. They just kept dancing.
The subsequential days between then and the dance were filled with laughter. Adrien would help her with any of her homework, they would watch movies while eating popcorn, Marinette would talk about her friends, and she would ask questions about demons.
The night before the dance, Marinette and Cat Noir were watching another Halloween movie.
"Man, it's both annoying and entertaining to see what humans think demons are actually like," Cat Noir laughed as he ate some popcorn. "I wonder where these stereotypes come from?"
"I don't know." Marinette said. They got to another scene in the film that was meant to make the audience laugh.
Cat Noir covered his mouth to keep himself from howling in laughter. He used his free hand to slap his knee.
Several minutes later, a jump-scare scene frightened Marinette, and she leaped into Adrien's arms. He held her close, also a bit spooked, and he said, "It's okay. I'm here."
Marinette looked up at him, and she blushed with a timid giggle. Cat Noir's congenial personality made it easy to forget that he was a demon. She relaxed in his embrace as they continued watching the movie.
The dance was upon them. The students and faculty were dressed in Halloween costumes for the occasion, the snack table had Halloween-themed foods (including Halloween cutout cookies and macarons from the Dupain-Cheng bakery).
Marinette's group of gal pals, including two girls from other clases, Zoé and Kagami, were gathered near the dance floor.
"Hey Alya, where's Marinette?" Zoé asked. She was dressed like a wasp with some bee-themed accents to her suit.
"No idea. She's been off the radar for a while," Alya responded, holding some punch. She was dressed as a fox. "I've tried getting in touch, but she's been quiet."
"I don't know what's going on, but she's been pretty down for a while," Rose said. Her costume seemed to combine fairytales with pigs. "I wonder what Félix did to her?"
"Speaking of whom, look." Alix pointed out. Félix was with Lila at the punch bowl. They were costumed as vampires.
"Looks like Marinette isn't coming," Félix purred. "But what can you do? It's pathetic that she doesn't have a partner and isn't here."
Lila chuckled in agreement.
Near the doors to the school, Marinette was doing some final adjustments on her outfit. Cat Noir was there, too, and his costume was made to hide his demon features. He conjured up a black fedora to make it seem like his ears were a costume piece and his was made so that way the tail looked like a belt. He didn't bother doing anything to his eyes, reasoning that everyone would assume he was wearing contacts.
"You okay?" He asked, noticing Marinette's anxiety.
"I'll be fine," Marinette said. "I have you with me. You're my good luck charm."
He chuckled at the joke before smirking at her and saying, "Let's rock this joint."
Marinette nodded in agreement as she slammed the doors open.
As she stepped in, with Cat Noir on her arm, the students directed their eyes at the scene.
"That girl is HOT!" "She looks familiar…" "Isn't that Marinette?"
This seemed to catch Félix and Lila's attention.
"Marinette, hot? When hell freezes…" Félix scoffed before looking at the scene out of his peripheral vision.
Absently, he dropped his punch glass onto the ground.
Marinette was wearing a one-shoulder, ankle-length, vivid carmine trumpet dress with a slit up the right, ending just above the knee. The dress had black spots on it, her shoes were bright carmine flats with sequins, she had sheer, black lace, thigh-high nylon stockings on, and matching fingerless velvet gloves that went up to her shoulders.
Her hair was worn in a high bun, and her hair pin had red pieces on it that looked like the wings of a ladybug's shell when in flight. She was wearing a simple, ruby pendant and matching red stud earrings, she had light foundation on her face, with red lipstick and dark red, smokey cat eyes for her eyeshadow.
The ideal personification of a sultry, seductive ladybug.
"Girl!" Alya shouted as she and the others ran up to Marinette. "You're here! And you look incredible!"
"We were so worried about you!" Myléne, who was wearing a mouse suit, said to her.
"Sorry for worrying you," Marinette said. "After what Félix said, I… Needed some time to recover."
Juleka, wearing a magenta tiger suit, pointed out Adrien and mumbled out, "Who's this?"
"Oh, this is Adrien," Marinette introduced. "He's my date for the night."
"Adrien?" Alya pondered aloud. "I don't remember there being an "Adrien" here in school."
"I go to a different one," Adrien lied. "But I met Marinette by chance, and she was so upset. She told me what happened, and I told her that I'd take her here."
Lila started sashaying her way over to the scene, her eyes with the conniving, greedy tint they always held when she had designs on something.
Marinette got nervous as Lila passed through the girls and approached Adrien, getting in her space.
"Hi there," She said in what seemed to be a friendly tone. "I'm Lila. You're one handsome kitty."
"Thank you." He said, keeping his tone neutral.
Marinette was getting tense, and Lila took Adrien's arm into her two.
"Shall we dance?" She purred, fluttering her eyelashes.
"Shouldn't you be with Félix? He is your date, isn't he?" Adrien questioned, his tone firm.
"Oh, he wouldn't mind. And Marinette, you wouldn't mind me dancing with your date, would you?" Lila said, looking at Marinette with warning eyes.
Adrien cut in, saying, "As you said, I'm Marinette's date, and I plan to stay at her side all night. Can't blame a guy for honoring a commitment, can you?"
The rest of the girls were making noises in agreement.
He pushed Lila off his arm before taking Marinette's.
Looking her in the eyes with a big smile, he asked, "May I have this dance, Marinette?"
"You may." Marinette said as Adrien took Marinette to the dance floor, acting as if Lila didn't exist.
Marinette decided to follow his lead. A tango song began playing, and they into proper dance position.
They started moving on the floor, with fluid, albeit staccato steps. Their turns included sharp swivels, with Adrien leading like a pro. Adrien did a sharp, quick travel with Marinette before pulling her in and dipping her down. Marinette giggled as she looked at him with smiles on her face and in her eyes.
They'd improvise on their dance, including Adrien spinning her into his arms before holding her by the hips, flipping her over his shoulder and setting her down. Marinette giggled as he took her arms before turning her around. She had one foot on his, and she stretched herself out, arching her back and bending her other leg and pulling it behind her back.
Instinctively, Adrien let his inner demon loose, levitating the two of them into the air. Everyone went crazy at the sight.
As the staccato tempo music kept going, they kept going higher into the air. Like their first practice, they were literally dancing on air. Marinette's arms were around Adrien's neck, and Adrien was looking at her with a warm, affectionate smile.
"This is so dream-like! And if it really is a dream, I don't wanna wake up at all!" Marinette laughed.
Cat Noir chuckled at this.
"Marinette, you're the most beautiful girl here. No doubt about it." He said to her, pulling her closer.
"Oh, Adrien…" Marinette swooned before the two of them started swaying back and forth, hugging each other.
It was perfect. Just the two of them, dancing amongst the stars in the light of the full moon.
The bliss was broken when they heard a cacophonic outburst down below. They looked down and saw the students and teachers pointing, looking, talking, and recording the scene.
"Uh-oh…" Marinette said.
"I guess I was having so much fun that I went overboard." Adrien admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Marinette was about to panic, but she remembered:
She had two wishes left.
"Adrien, as my second wish, can you erase their memories and make sure any and all recordings and posts are gone, too?" Marinette asked.
"Do it, kid," Plagg agreed (he was hiding in one of Adrien's coat pockets). "This way, nobody will hassle her with questions later."
Adrien, hearing the pleas of his friends, lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, saying, "Got it! Wish two, granted!"
Like magic, the memories of the evening were erased from the minds of all the attendees. They were all murmuring in curiosity, wondering what was going on, asking why they were going insane…
Once the dance was over, they began walking home. Marinette was very light on her feet, spinning on her heels, happier than a clam.
"You're in a good mood," Adrien chuckled. "Even though none of them are gonna remember what happened tonight."
"I don't care," Marinette giggled. "I feel like I can take on the world now! Thanks to you, I have more courage than before."
Adrien's smile grew, and he said, "I'm glad, Marinette."
They kept laughing.
Later, Cat Noir (changed back into his usual clothes) was sitting on the railing of the balcony, looking at the moon again. But he didn't seem as happy as usual.
Marinette came up from her room. She was wearing her pajamas, her hair was down, and she was rubbing her head with a towel.
"I had so much fun!" Marinette laughed as she put the towel down before coming up next to Cat Noir. "We sure showed Lila and Félix what for, huh?"
She looked at Adrien, saw his body language, and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Marinette… I have to go back tonight." He confessed.
Marinette's heart stopped, her eyes widened, and she saw Adrien's resigned face. He was looking at her, his face contrite.
'Oh, that's right…' Marinette thought, her eyes and smile falling. 'Tonight's the deadline for the contract.'
"Cat Noir," Marinette began. "I…"
"Marinette, don't worry about me," Cat Noir said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You only got two wishes, so I won't take anything from you. We all win here."
She looked at her phone, and saw that they only had five minutes left together.
Taking a deep breath, Marinette faced him and said, "It's not over yet – I have one last wish."
Cat Noir looked at her with massive eyes, as did Plagg.
Adrien asked, "What are you talking about?! Marinette, you're trading away your most valuable possession! You realize that, right?!"
"Of course I do," Marinette said. "But this is something I want granted no matter what."
"Marinette!" Cat Noir said in pleading. "No!"
11:56 PM
"It's fine. If you tell us what you want granted, we'll grant it!" Plagg said.
"Plagg!" Cat Noir scolded.
Plagg started flying around in circles above Marinette's head, and said, "I'll figure out what Marinette feels is most valuable to her. Now, tell us what your last wish is."
Marinette looked up, and with certainty, said, "Turn Adrien into a human."
Plagg and Cat Noir gaped at her.
"Wh… What?" Adrien questioned, his voice absent.
"Listen, after getting my heart busted by Félix, I'm doubtful about my own desirability," Marinette admitted. "But you… You can soothe me, and make me feel so much better."
She took Adrien's hands, she looked him in the eyes, and said, "These past six days have been the time of my life! I'm so grateful and lucky that we met, Adrien! So… This is the least I could do for you, as my thanks."
Adrien looked at Marinette with shock, his face red (though the mask hid it a little).
"I... I've enjoyed my six days with you, too, Marinette." He confessed.
"Okay, I found it!" Plagg said. "Marinette, as your payment for the three wishes…"
Marinette nodded, ready to hear the price.
"These six days with Cat Noir will be taken." Plagg spoke.
Behind them in the distance, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Marinette's eyes shot wide, it went dead quiet between them, and she felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs.
"Wait… My time with Cat Noir?" Marinette asked, finding her words again after a pregnant silence. "That's what I cherish the most?"
"Yep. You'll need to forget everything about Cat Noir in exchange for your wishes." Plagg elaborated.
Marinette's eyes were slowly darting around, and her face fell to the floor. She began to tremble, murmuring, "N… No way…"
"Marinette, I'm okay with how I am, so please-" Adrien began, but Marinette put a hand up to stop him.
"Don't worry." Marinette began, her voice joyful.
"Marinette!" Cat Noir shouted.
She raised her head to show him a teary smile. "It's not the end of the world. I'll still have my friends, my designing… And maybe I'll find someone someday. I'll never doubt myself on that ever again."
"Marinette…" Adrien murmured.
11:58 PM
"Hurry it up, Adrien! Grant her wish! You know you'd be better off as a human, anyway!" Plagg insisted.
Conflicted, Cat Noir squeezed his eyes shut, turned his face away, and said, "No! I… I can't…!"
11:59 PM
"You're out of time, kid!" Plagg shouted.
"Adrien!" Marinette spoke.
Tears still in her eyes, she took Adrien's face into his hands to force him to face her.
Choked up, she questioned, "You said you wanna make sure I'm happy! Isn't that what you want?!"
He looked at Marinette, eyes wide, and she moved her hands from his cheeks to his hand. She folded it into hers.
"You'll be one of the best guys in the universe, Adrien! I want you to be human! Please!" Marinette begged.
He sagged a bit, Plagg looked at him in dismay, and Cat Noir looked back up. Raising his free hand, he said, "Okay."
He snapped his fingers, and he began sparkling and glowing in white. Plagg smiled, and Marinette looked at him in awe.
Cat Noir once again put his hand to Marinette's cheek, and he used his thumb to stroke her bottom lip.
"Marinette…" He murmured.
Marinette nodded, and he pulled her in for a kiss. Even though he was fading, all Marinette felt in his kiss was warmth, kindness, but above all, gratitude. He hugged her close, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they kept kissing for a few more seconds.
When he pulled away, he said, "Merci…"
His glowing and shimmering became brighter and brighter. They gave each other grateful, misty smiles.
As Adrien started to disintegrate into sparkles, he gave a big smile and said to Marinette, "Au revoir!"
He faded away, and the sparkles fell onto the floor of the balcony.
Midnight.
Several weeks passed, and things seemed to go back to normal.
In class one day…
"Hey Marinette! You seem so happy these days," Alya mentioned. "And I don't think I've seen you with your hair down before. It looks great!"
"It does!" Rose agreed before lighting up. "Could it be that you've got a crush on someone right now?! The saying goes that love is the best makeup for girls!"
Marinette laughed at this before saying, "Me, have a crush? No way!"
Their teacher, Mme. Bustier, came in, and she said, "Marinette, could you come with me to the principal's office? Your services are being asked for."
"Coming!" Marinette said as she stood up and began to follow the green-eyed redheaded woman.
As they walked the halls, Marinette's mood sank by a small margin.
'What's going on with me?' She thought as she held back a sigh while watching the autumn wind blowing outside, with leaves dancing in the air.
Marinette looked down, thinking, 'Lately, it's like I have this big, gaping hole in my chest, as if something crucial to me is missing…'
When they got to the principal's office, Principal Damocles said, "Ah, Marinette! Great to see you."
"Hi, Monsieur Damocles." Marinette greeted.
"I know it's sudden, but we have a new student who just transferred in today," Mr. Damocles explained. "And he'll be in your class. As class representative, will you guide him?"
"Okay," Marinette began before looking around. "So, where is he?"
The door opened from behind, and a bright voice said, "Sorry I'm late!"
Marinette turned around and her eyes widened. There before her was a boy a little taller than her. He had sun-kissed skin, bright green eyes like Félix, and he had blonde hair with a black streak in it that was well-groomed, yet not slicked back. He was wearing a white button-down over a black shirt, blue jeans, and orange sneakers.
"Hi! I'm Adrien Agreste! It's nice to meet you, Marinette!" He greeted with a big smile.
Marinette's face turned red, and her eyes became wet with tears, as if she were overwhelmed by something.
"Marinette?! Are you okay?" Mme. Bustier asked, shocked.
"Wh… Why aren't they stopping?!" Marinette asked, hiccupping.
Adrien looked at her with a loving, affectionate smile, before chuckling and pulling her into a hug. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek on her head.
Marinette, her face still wet, didn't resist, only hugging him back, and once her tears stopped, she smiled. Adrien rubbed her back to relax her.
'I have no idea why I cried, but… Who cares? I think my heart will be racing every day from here on in!' Marinette thought, snuggling in closer.
That's the end! Hope you enjoyed this, and I hope you guys enjoy your Halloween this year! But please, no spoiler comments on any new episodes. I haven't seen them yet!
