Day 5: Chat Being a Cat

Chat Noir leapt through the night, enjoying the freedom and cool nightly air but still kept an ear out for possible trouble.

Just as he was approaching Notre Dame, however, he stopped.

A peculiar smell had caught his nose. It was sweet, earthy, and made him feel a bit giddy.

He didn't know what it was exactly, but he could detect where it was coming from.

Following the scent, Chat passed the cathedral, crossed the Seine, and the next thing he knew, he was in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

The smell was coming from the roof.

Chat propelled himself up to the top of the building and over the railing, landing in the middle of Marinette's little private balcony. She kept a couple potted plants on the ledges, all blooming and well-watered. But his nose was instantly drawn to the only one sitting on her round wood table.

It was just a small light green plant, no blossoms, with many triangular leaves with spikey edges in little bunches. He couldn't identify what kind of plant it was, he just knew he liked the aroma it gave off.

Maybe a little too much.

Chat dropped down to his knees by the table and crossed his arms on the top, leaning in as close as he could and took a long, slow inhale.

Then another.

And then another.

And then once more.

With every intake, Chat's mind became fuzzier and lighter while his smile went from happy to straight up dopey. A purr rumbled in his throat as his head came down onto his folded arms.

Whatever this plant was, Chat couldn't get enough of it.

"What the-" he vaguely heard someone say behind him. Not that he was paying much attention to his surroundings. "Chat?"

Chat sluggishly turned his head over to the other side, still keeping it nestled in his arms. And there stood Marinette in her pajamas.

"Oooooooh…hey there, Mari. What's uuuuuup?" he slurred, ending with a pop on the 'p.'

Noting his slurred speech and weird behavior—even weird for him—Marinette had to ask, "Are you okay? What are you doing here?" Usually when he can over for a visit, he knocked on her hatch door to come in. He never just stayed on her balcony without letting her know he was there.

"Nothin.' I was just…passing by and this plant…" Chat pulled out one of his arms and pointed to the sweet-smelling flora. "…it just…smells…soooooo good," he gushed before leaning in to sniff it again.

"Plant?" Marinette asked, glancing at the plant on her table. She just bought that at a small shop that day. The shop owner said it helped with stomach aches and she wanted to test if it did. She meant to look up the name of the plant before doing anything with it but she hadn't yet today. But based on Chat's sudden and strange behavior, she had a pretty good guess. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god." Marinette quickly took her phone out of her pocket and looked up the word she was hoping didn't look like the plant on her table.

To her horror, it did.

Right there on her phone was a photo of a catnip plant. It was a perfect match.

Guess the black cat miraculous came with some cat-like mannerisms for the holder.

"Mari." She looked up from her phone and saw Chat still on his knees but no longer leaning on her table, staring up at her. "Has-has anyone ever told you…how-how pretty you are?"

Marinette blushed. "Chat-"

"No no, I'm serious. You are soooooo beautiful," he insisted as he scooted closer to her on his knees. When he was close enough, Chat raised up to his feet and leaned his head onto her shoulder. "You have…such pretty hair," he muttered, sticking his nose into one of her pigtails.

Then, without warning, his clawed hands reached up to both her pigtails and started tugging the bands out.

"Chat! Those are my hair ties!" Marinette exclaimed when they both came out, letting her bluenette hair fall free to her shoulders.

"Your hair is sooooo beautiful when it's down." Without letting go of her, Chat moved around to hold her from behind. When her back was flush up against his chest, Chat stuck his nose in her hair and took a deep inhale. "Mmmmm, you smell like cake. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum," he mumbled as he nuzzled her head.

Marinette's face just got redder. "I…I thought you liked the smell of the plant," she tried to remind him. Why wasn't he focusing on the plant anymore!?

"Yes, but you smell so sweet…like love," Chat told her.

Then, just when things couldn't get stranger, Marinette could hear and sort of feel a light vibration coming from Chat's throat.

"Are-are you purring?" she asked, not sure if she was really hearing that. "Since when can you purr?" Yet another cat-like mannerism. Sure, why not?

He didn't reply. He just kept rubbing and purring while holding her close.

Cats loved to cuddle after all.

I've been wanting to do a 'Chat high on catnip' story for years.

Sorry. I won't be seeing u guys tomorrow, or the next day because (as I mentioned in the summary and 1st author's note) I was not inspired by some of the prompt words, and Days 6 and 7 were some of them. So those will be skipped.

I will see u all on the 8th =^.^=