oOoOo

.

Forget me not (because I will)

(How often can a heart be broken?)

.

oOoOo

They were preparing potions – or rather, Marinette was preparing potions and Chat was carefully watching her, curious eyes following her every movement – silently.

When Marinette had said she needed "tears of laughter", he had started punning and even though Marinette had blushed at his antics and was clearly smiling, she had threatened to kick him out if he didn't stop.

They had fallen into companionable silence afterwards, with Chat sometimes speaking up to ask a question – but for the most part they stayed silent.

It was nice.

Spending time with Chat was always nice.

She recalled the conversation she had had a Alya that day and tried her best to keep herself from blushing – Chat truly was the best partner she could have ever wished for.

Eventually, they started talking again – small talk, about the Akumatizations, about the times they needed them and then-

"My favorite Akumatization is Mr. Pigeon, I think", Chat mused, as he dutifully stirred the pot.

"He's easy to defeat and always gives us ice cream afterwards – we hardly need to use our abilities anymore!"

Chat chuckled, his tails humorously wrapping itself around his wrist, just to be shaken off by an annoyed "humpf". Marinette watched the interaction for a few silent moments – before she started to shake form silent laughter as the tail wrapped itself around her wrist, Chat's expression overly sourly.

"Ha ha, just keep laughing and see where that gets you!"

"But Chat, we still need that tear of laughter!"

"Uh-huh – don't want to tear into your reserves just yet, huh? I can tail you're trying to save them."

"No puns, Chat, or I will kick you out."

Now it was Chat who was shaking from laughter and Marinette shooting an overdone look at him, until that dissolved into smiles as well.

"Pray tell, Chat – what's you least favorite Akumatization?"

"Oh no, princess – it's your turn. I answered that last question."

Expectantly, Chat leaned over to her, his eyes more curious than they perhaps should be – and Marinette let her vision grow blurred as she thought of a good answer.

"Chloé", she eventually said.

"Chloé?"

"Miracle Queen – I keep thinking, if I had trusted her more, that, you know – maybe she wouldn't have turned on us? We-We wouldn't be in this mess anymore, Master Fu would still be here, we'd still have our allies – And look at Chloé! She's – well, she's not perfect, but she's doing just fine!"

Chat smiled at that – in a weird, familiar way, with the smile's softness and the way he got crinkles around his eyes…

Marinette was blushing now.

She turned away to look over the city.

"Yeah, you're right – she's – Chloé is doing better. She hasn't caused an Akumatization for quite some time now!"

Marinette nodded along. Chloé wasn't nice – she was brash and harsh and didn't care much for anyone's feelings, but she toned down her temper a bit and it showed.

Chloé had grown so much – she would have been an excellent Queen Bee.

It was her fault she wasn't.

"Hm – anyway", Marinette murmured, trying to shake off her guilty consciousness:"Weirdest Akumatization? One that you never fully understood?"

Chat fell silent for a few moments.

"Mine was – I think it's Mr. Pigeon again. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, you know? I mean, Pigeons? Really?"

Chat nodded at her words, but didn't answer still. It made Marinette shift uncomfortably and made her regretting asking the question.

It had only soured Chat's mood – she knew by the way his tail started lashing out behind him, the way suddenly that-that that chat-glint – that never failed to cheer her up was missing from his eyes – the way his smile slowly fell-

It was the missing glint in his eyes. That was what threw her off.

"Hey, Maribug...", Chat mumbled eventually – and from the way his voice was barely a whisper, Marinette was convinced it was going to be painful.

"Remember Weredad? When-When you confessed?"

Wer...Oh.

That.

That didn't make a whole lot of sense anymore, did it?

"I-I was wondering whether-why? Why did you confess? Just a second earlier you shot me down and you knew I loved you as Ladybug and-and was it a test? Did you want to see what I thought of your civilian self? Did-Did you mean it?"

In that moment, Chat looked at her with such hopeful eyes, that she was tempted to just say yes.

But she didn't. He'd never forgive her if she did.

"Chat, I-No."

His ears drooped. Marinette felt terrible. She could barely bring herself to finish her explanation.

"When you dropped in on my balcony I-I panicked. I thought you were going to say I was Ladybug and-and I just said the first thing that came to my mind that would distract you from that thought."

Chat had now averted his gaze completely, choosing to stare a Paris' skyline instead. Marinette's shoulders slumped and she bit her lip. He wasn't supposed to ever find out about it.

"So...you didn't mean it?"

There was a hint of bitterness in his voice and Marinette couldn't blame him. If the roles were reversed, she'd be bitter too.

"I-You know I like someone else, Chat."

The words were achingly familiar, yet they felt so wrong.

Of course she liked that stupid cat. How could she not? But she could never say that out loud. And thus, almost as an afterthought, Marinette added "Even if I did, it wouldn't matter..."

She wasn't sure whether Chat had heard her or not – but that didn't matter either.

None of the things she felt right now did and none of the things that were felt towards her did. Because Chat and her would never – ever work out.

They couldn't. There was an ocean and a sky between any chance of them every getting into a relationship.

"Hey, how about we stop making these potions for now – and instead I teach you about the language? From the book?"

Marinette plastered a grin on her face – but to no avail.

Chat simply raised an eyebrow at her.

"The language? But – whyever would I need to know the language?"

Marinette's grin started to freeze – she desperately hoped she was good enough of a liar to pull this one of.

Just how far had she fallen to ever think something as despicable as this?

"Uh – why not? It-it can only be advantageous, right? What-What if I get sick and – I – and you might have to translate something! Just imagine!"

For a few, tense minutes, Chat simply scrutinized her and Marinette shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze – but then, his face broke out into one of his Cheshire-grins-

(the ones that always made her heart speed up.)

"Will I get more pastries, if I come inside?"

Marinette laughed.

"Of course! Anything for you, kitty."

You see, when I said double update this week, what I really meant was "Accept this one scene I've had written up for two months now but never knew where to place as a second chapter".

I hope you enjoyed, if you did, please leave a review ^^