"Hey. This is Chat. I mean, of course it's me cause I'm the only one who can send voice messages to your yoyo thing... Anyway. It's me. I won't be able to get to the alley restaurant early tonight. I'm doing a quick favour for a friend so don't wait up, okay? Um, haha, bye milady."
I sigh as I detransform and lean on the tower in front of me. No one's around so I figured I'd use my powers to just get here fast enough and get this over with.
"I don't think this was a good idea Marinette," Tikki tells me. "How's meeting up with Chat as Marinette going to help?"
"Well, first of all, he doesn't know I'm Ladybug and he doesn't know the Marinette side of me at all so there won't be any awkward romantic tension between us."
"But wouldn't you have to act like you're interested in him way more than when you're Ladybug?"
"Tikki, what the heck are you going on about?"
"Well, Adrien knows you're a fan of Chat so he probably told him that and if you're not this doting fan all of a sudden, Chat would think you're just lying to get Adrien's attention then he'll go tell Adrien who'll later on know you like him and hence creating awkward tension between you and Adrien."
"Oh..." My eyes widen when that realization hits. "Oh! Shit, Tikki! You're right! I should just leave--"
"No! He'd probably think you stood him up."
"So I just pretend to be his hugest fan?"
"You are, are you not?"
"Tikki, he's more of a friend whom I save the world with, not some guy I look upto! At least I don't think I'm a fan." I start pacing. "What's wrong with me Tikki? I kissed a guy I don't like and now I like him and he's meeting up with me tonight under the Eiffel tower which is supposedly one of the most romantic places in the world and I have to pretend I like him so he thinks I don't like Adrien!"
I start biting at my nails then my pacing becomes frantic. I'm tapping my feet and searching my pockets for things I'm pretty sure I left at home.
"Sorry I'm late." My stomach does a flip and I stop moving completely. The only thing that moves are my eyes which spot Chat leaning on one of the sides of the second level with his hand holding the tip of his belt-like tail. He still has that damn ribbon tied around his hair. I had to tie my hair this morning with rubber bands because I left without asking for them back.
Quickly, he drops to the ground next to me and I take a step back.
"Marinette," he pauses, "right? Adrien's told me about you."
"I'm sure he has."
"Yeah, er, you wanted to meet?"
"Yeah! Sure! I'm a big fan! Wow! Chat Noir is standing in front of me for the first time in my life!--" I feel something tag at the lower part of my shirt. I'm pretty sure it's Tikki warning me not to be too aware. "I'm not sure what fans do with their idols so I'm kind of nervous."
"I get you. Ladybug's my idol too."
I hear a gasp and it takes me some time to realize it's come from me.
"Yeah, I know. I'm a superhero with an idol I look upto but to be honest, Ladybug's kept me mostly sane during all the akuma fighting we do. I barely have time to sleep these days but it's worth it knowing that at the end of the day, I'm going to see her." His eyes sparkle but then he looks at the ground and sighs. "I'm sorry I'm talking about her. This must be boring. All I ever talk about is her. I think she's the only highlight of my life."
"Wow," I say absentmindedly. "Oh, er, sorry for interrupting you."
"It's fine."
We remain silent for a while. "How about talking about yourself then?"
"Hmm?"
"Well, you said all you ever talk about is her. What if you talk about yourself then?"
He chuckles. "Me? I've never thought about that." He offers me a hand. "I think it'd be more fitting if I'd tell you about myself somewhere else."
I take his hand and he uses his baton to launch us into the sky. Under superhero circumstances, this should be normal but under normal circumstances, I was horribly terrified being this high up and not being able to use my powers.
We parch into the summit of the tower and Chat helps me balance onto a flat surface. He sits on the rail.
"See all this? It's all I've ever known," he begins. "I've been trapped at home, although home's not particularly claustrophobia-inducing. When I got to become Chat, I could go everywhere and anywhere I wanted without rules and I guess I'm Chat most of the time when I'm with Ladybug. She was the first person I met after I transformed."
He takes off the ribbon he's had on and gives them to me. "I think she prefers me with a ponytail on but she's got two of them already so I guess that's enough for our two-person team." He hands them to me. "You should have them. It's a gift from, yours truly, Chat Noir!"
His hair naturally parts and goes back to it's messy likeness. It's as if him handing the ribbon over turned him to his smug normal self. I find myself getting more and more jealous as he smiles at me finally. It dawns on me immediately that I'm jealous that he's giving it to me and not Ladybug. I mean, we're the same person but imagine if some other girl approached Adrien and asked to meet up with the Chat Noir! He'd be giving some other girl the ribbon I gave him!
Stupid Chat. Who gives out gifts they've received from other people?
"Thanks!" I say through clenched teeth. "I'll treasure them."
"You better. Those red little things are very special to me."
Red little things? Red little things?!
I feel another tug at my shirt then force a smile out. "Hope I didn't take much of your time. I'm pretty sure you're busy saving all of Paris with Ladybug."
"It's no big deal."
"I should go then. I have homework."
"Yeah, lots of people seem to have homework these days." He laughs. "See you around then."
He jumps across the rail and lands on a lower level before finally setting foot on solid ground. I can't believe he left me up here too...
"Tikki, spots on!"
"Wait, Marinette don't use your powers for--" Tikki's absorbed into my earrings before she can finish her sentence. I know I'm being selfish and petty and a little bit crazy but I have to do whatever dumb thing I'm probably going to do.
I throw my yoyo out towards the familiar alleyway I was at yesterday knowing good and well Chat's on his way there. He'll probably send a voice message soon too...
The yoyo lights up and dings as soon as I assume that which makes me at least happy enough to know that I can predict what Chat's doing. That's how much I know him. I wonder why he never told me, Ladybug, about being cooped up at home all his life but tells a complete stranger. Again, I know that that stranger is still me but Chat doesn't know that! Does he not trust me?
Suddenly, I'm not angry or jealous, I'm just sad that Chat's kept all that bottled up. He's always making bad cat puns so who's to ever know when he's actually not in the mood to be funny anymore?
I land on the rooftop of the restaurant we were supposed to be at and decide to finally open up that message he's sent.
"Hey again. Um, it's me. Chat Noir. I'm heading to the restaurant right now so I'm asking that you don't stand me up." He laughs. It's a nervous laugh. "I never told you how I felt about that kiss yesterday. I know it's sudden and we're not supposed to discuss non-emergency stuff when sending emergency voice messages, but I'm glad you could finally accept my feelings you know? After all these months we've known each other. I was so happy this morning that I got to school super early. And I hate school. You made me look forward to school! Could you believe that?!" He laughs again. "I swear you won't regret this. You won't regret US so please be there."
"And here you are." His voice echoes behind me. "I honestly didn't think you'd be here. And early too, wow." He laughs for the seven billionth time.
I droop my yoyo back around my hip. "I wasn't looking forward to it or anything."
"You're here before me. I think that means one of us is more eager than the other."
"No, it just means I was closeby so I got here quicker."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah."
"Where were you that's so close then?"
I freeze up. I'm not familiar with this side of Paris but it seems Chat knows the place well. It's along the side I'd like to call the snobby streets where most people here have cars that are shorter than gnomes and shaped weirdly.
"Where's the ribbon I gave you?" I ask in an attempt to change the subject. "You lost it already, didn't you?"
"No. I'd argue it's with someone I might care about."
"Someone you might care about?" Yeah, some girl he's just met today is suddenly someone he might care about? "You're such a careless person! I left something for you and you give it to someone else?--"
"Calm down Mari." He chuckles but this time he does it so loud that it echoes. "I just gave them to you a minute ago."
I gulp then await Tikki's shirt tug but realize I'm Ladybug and not Marinette.
"Mari?" I ask for clarification. Maybe I heard him wrong and he said something else.
"Yeah. I gave them back to you. I gave them to someone I might care about. That's you, Marinette."
"Marinette?" I feel like he's playing a prank on me and just happened to guess my name because he'd just been hanging out with me a few minutes ago but if I'm going to lie to myself even about something as obvious as this, I might as well just lie to myself again by saying the kiss we shared yesterday was a mistake. "How did you know?"
"Um..." He rubs his chin. "Let's see. There's the obsession with using homework as an excuse. Then there's the fact that you're the only person in Paris who just so happens to tie her hair with rubber bands when Ladybug decides to do so too. Then there's the part where you drew me with a ponytail and red ribbon and finally, that time you shouted at Alya in the hall right outside class telling her that you were Ladybug. Should I go on?"
My mouth falls open. Then I realize the only other person that was close enough to hear me tell Alya that was... "Adrien?"
"In the fur-lesh!" He says with a smug face.
"Oh wow." I laugh nervously. "Um, just... Wow." Someone help, fast! What am I supposed to say when the guy I previously liked turned out to be the person I now like? Alya was right, the only way I'd like someone else is if that someone else was also Adrien Agreste.
"Did you not expect it to be me?" His tone changes to a sad one.
"No, I mean, I didn't expect it to be you but I'm not disappointed either. I'm just at a lack of words."
"Probably because we're hungry," he jokes. "Lucky for us, I'd reserved a spot at this place we're standing on top of." He offers a hand for the second time tonight. "Maybe now that we know each other, we could come here as our normal selves? It's not particularly peaceful going on a date as a famous couple with superpowers. Well, you could argue I'm still famous as Adrien but at least Adrien's just a kid with nothing but homework to stress him out."
Out of all the words he's just said, I only remember two: "A date?"
"Yeah, milady." He wiggles his fingers. "Don't keep the hand waiting."
"This isn't a dream, right?"
"Trust me Marinette. If this is a dream, then here's hoping we won't wake up disappointed..."
I smile at him and eventually take his hand. "Of course I trust you. You're my partner."
"Then let's head in, partner."
a/n
that's the end! :D thanks for reading this! :) if u liked it, please reas my other story: 'Another chance' also on ! i warn u now, it probably has grammar issues or spelling mistakes so beware! other than that, thanks again for reading! :)
au revoir! 3
