Marinette had slowly started to get used to being alone, well alone apart from tikki. She watched her small Kwami, munching on a cookie contentedly. She wondered what Tikki even thought about, how she handled her emotions. She had to be thousands of years old and was probably the wisest person she knew. The small creature turned to Marinette, a large grin now on her face as she went about eating her cookie.
Marinette couldn't help but feel calmer when Tikki was around, she wondered if maybe there was a deeper answer as to why. More than just her being a close friend, or like a second mother.
The knock at her door startled her and she ushered Tikki away before calling that it was open. "Marinette?" Her mother peeked her head in. "Hey baby, it's almost time to leave for school. Are you feeling alright?"
Marinette sat up in her bed, blocking out the soft hum of whatever children's cartoon played on the TV. She felt the tears starting to form in her eyes again and she cursed herself for being so emotional. "Luka and I broke up last night." Once the words were out, she let out a sob curling in on herself.
"Oh honey…" her mother pushed herself into the room coming to sit on Marinette's bed. She wrapped her daughter in her arms, rocking them gently. "I'm so sorry."
"It's my fault." She whispered. "I'm not sure what to do, it's not like he's dead but I just feel so awful."
"Oh baby, a loss is a loss and you will grieve what once was. Luka has been a big part of your life these past three months, and even for the last few years. It will be sad, but I'm sure the two of you will make up."
She slumped into her mothers shoulder. Calming her breathing, it was all so sudden. That could be it too, she hadn't been expecting to go and end things with Luka that day. She would need to talk to him, discuss the possibility of the trip helping. But was that selfish? Now that she thought about it, was going on that trip knowing that it would make her decision, worse than not going at all?
Her head was spinning. She was so stressed, Hawkmoths attacks had been getting worse, more dangerous and she had been struggling to keep him at bay. She understood now why in most super hero movies the hero didn't want a relationship. It was just added stress. "Marinette, honey you're burning up, how about you stay home today and get some rest ok?" She nodded her head and her mother stood up. "Let me go grab you something from the bakery ok? I'll be right back."
Marinette watched her mother disappear out of the room before dropping further into her bed. She hadn't realized just how awful she had felt. Her head was aching from the crying, and her stomach turned with anxiety. Her body felt heavy and she decided her mother was right, she needed some much deserved rest.
She must've fallen asleep because when she woke up, the sun was all the way out and a plate with two croissants sat next to her on the bed. Weird, her mother usually gave her three. She picked one up and it was cold, which was expected. She took a bite of it and chewed slowly.
"You've been sleeping for five hours Marinette it's noon!" Tikki said, biting onto another croissant.
"And you stole my croissant." She said, giving Tikki a playful smile.
"Alya has called you a few times. And you've got a text from Adrien as well!" Marinette felt her heart rate rise as she scrambled to grab her phone. A message from Adrien? She noticed the three missed calls from Alya before checking the message.
Adrien- Hey, heard you were sick! We're all missing you here so feel better soon!
She stared at it, her cheeks burning and hands starting to sweat. If a simple text could make her feel this way then maybe it was a good thing Adrien didn't like her like that.
Her shaking thumbs struggled to text back.
Thanks so much. After resting I'm starting to feel better!
Adrien was worried about her, she wanted to sing and dance. But then she remembered why she was even here in the first place and her smile fell. Why was being a teenager so difficult? She wished she was thirty, married and already employed with her dream job, that way things didn't have to be left to the unknown.
Once she finished her croissant she managed to drag herself out of bed and take a shower. The warm water was heavenly and seemed to sooth her aching muscles and stuffy nose. She really needed a day for herself to collect her feelings and focus on herself. A self care day as Rose would call it.
After the shower she was feeling a bit better, though she decided she would just take it easy and spent hours lying in bed watching old reruns of tv sitcoms and doing some homework on her laptop. Her mother had brought her some tea as the day went by and she hadn't even noticed the sun setting until she heard tapping at her window. The abrupt sound had caused her to jump. She sat up moving to open it suspiciously.
"Hello…?"
"Hey Marinette." She was slightly shocked to see Chat Noir, he must be taking her up on her offer.
"Oh! Uh hi! Come on in I guess." She backed up and watched him maneuver his way through the window.
"Nice Pjs."
She looked down at herself shrieking in embarrassment. Her face burned as she scrambled to get back on her bed and pull the covers over her lap. "Shut up! I wasn't expecting visitors, you mangy cat."
He laughed a real laugh and sat down next to her at the foot of her bed. "Sorry sorry, I couldn't help it. The strawberries are cute though."
"I said shut up!"
Chat noir smiled and waved his hand in apology. "How're you feeling today?"
She shrugged. "I guess I gave myself a stress induced fever? I've been in bed resting all day, I'm feeling better though."
"Well that's no good Mari, you gotta take it easy."
"That's rich coming from you!"
"Hey do as I say, not as I do." He gave her a kind smile, looking over at her laptop. "Homework?"
"I don't like falling behind. I miss school a lot because of...health reasons and so I'm usually missing assignments. I always try to get them done at home."
He nodded slowly. Marinette bit her tongue, she had slipped up, why had she even said that she missed school a lot. "Well that's good, not that you're sick often, but that you're responsible enough to keep up."
"I'd like to think of myself as a fairly responsible person. How are you feeling Chat?"
"Overwhelmed." She frowned, sitting up and pressing her hand to his shoulder. "I saw my girlfriend today and she had a lot to complain about. Apparently she doesn't think we're spending enough time together, when I see her every other day at our lessons, and then we get dinner after. I'm not sure what to say, I'd like to also make time for my friends."
"Why not invite her along with you and your friends?" He scrunched up his nose as though he had smelt something awful.
"Yeah tried that once, never again. They don't exactly get along. She says they're too loud for her. Her exact words were, they don't enjoy the things we do A-Chat."
"And what are those things exactly, that you both like of course."
He paused, tapping his chin. "I'm not sure she likes anything if I'm being honest." The two of them laughed and Marinette pushed him playfully.
"There has to be something she enjoys!"
"Fencing maybe? That's not really something I enjoy though, just something to keep me busy."
"I didn't know you fenced!" Marinette smiled at him kindly and he shrugged.
"I'm not any good, like I said, I mostly do it because it keeps me busy and out of my house."
"I tried fencing once and it was a disaster. Sports aren't really my thing, I tend to attract accidents. Sometimes I think I have bad luck."
"Well Marinette, I hate to break it to you but no one has worse luck than me. I'm a black cat and I have the power of destruction. My power is basically bad luck in physical form."
"I'm sorry I didn't know we were competing for who had the worst luck." she teased.
"Well if we were I would win." The two laughed and Marinette dropped onto her back.
"Maybe our bad luck will cancel out and we can have just average luck."
"Or maybe we can ask Ladybug to rub some of her good luck off on us." Chat Noir suggested.
"You think she'd do that?" She asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.
"No way." She chuckled again before turning to look at him. He laid next to her, their heads close together, and shoulders touching. He turned to look back at her and her heart skipped a beat. His nose basically touched hers and he sucked in a breath.
"Tell me about being ChatNoir." She whispered, and he seemed frozen for a moment. His eyes were locked on hers and she could see pink poking out from beneath his mask.
"What do you want to know?"
"What's your favorite part?"
He closed his eyes, and Marinette noticed he had made no attempt to move. She didn't know why but she wasn't complaining. "Running over Paris at night. Jumping from roof to roof is exhilarating, something I don't think I can explain."
Marinette watched his face light up, she had run across the roofs of Paris as well but never leisurely. It was always to catch an Akuma. She wondered what it would be like to just do it for fun.
"That sounds amazing."
ChatNoir nodded before sitting up abruptly. "I could show you, if you're feeling up for it."
Marinette stared at him, wide eyed. "Right now? I mean I feel fine now but are you sure?"
"Yeah of course." He held out his hand and Marinette hesitated before finally grabbing it. He pulled her up out of her bed, laughing softly. "You should put on a jacket, it gets pretty nippy."
"Right." She scrambled for a long cardigan, slipping it over her PJs. She locked her door, knowing her parents would just assume she fell asleep. She followed ChatNoir onto her balcony and he leaned over.
"Ok get on."
"Your back? What if I fall! What if I let go!"
"Marinette, do you trust me?"
"Of course." The answer was a bit too fast for anyone but Ladybug, but she hoped he wouldn't notice.
"Then get on." She hesitated once more, debating if this was a good idea.
"If I die, I'm haunting you." He laughed, adjusting her comfortably on his back as she scrambled to get a grip on him.
"You won't die. Are you comfortable?"
"Yes, aren't I heavy?"
"Not at all, I barely know you're there. Now hold on tight." He grinned pulling his staff out and extending it without warning. The two of them were sent hurtling upwards and Marinette grabbed onto him tighter, an unintentional scream leaving her lips.
She buried her face in his neck, feeling the wind whipping against them as he leapt from roof to roof with his staff, propelling them off of each one. "Open your eyes!" He called back, somehow knowing she had them clenched tightly. She peaked an eye open, mouth falling agape in awe.
The lights of the city were breathtaking, zipping around them in flashes of color. It was Paris as she had never seen before. She could understand why this was his favorite part. "Chat this is amazing!" She called, as he sent them flying over two restaurants, people sitting below and chatting. She gripped a bit tighter, looking around as he finally stopped, both now standing on the Eiffel Tower. He put her down gently, steadying her with his hands. "I've never felt anything quite like that." She whispered, holding onto his arm for balance. She had been on the eiffel tower plenty of times as Ladybug but she couldn't recall ever stopping and taking in the beauty of her City. "It's gorgeous."
"It really is." He agreed, but when she turned he was looking at her.
Her cheeks burned and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. "You've really got this whole superhero thing down don't you?"
"I suppose. I spend a lot of time as ChatNoir. I never feel more free then when I'm alone out here."
"Sorry to take that alone time away from you." She said, apologetically.
"Well, I'm starting to realize it's even better when you have company." She couldn't help but smile as she turned back to look at the lights.
ChatNoir dropped her off on her balcony with a sad smile. "Sorry I have to go so early but my father will be wondering where I am if I disappear for too long."
"No need to apologize. Thank you, for tonight. It was a lot of fun."
"That's what friends are for, but I should be thanking you." He smiled, leaning down to ruffle her hair. "Now get some rest, no more stress fevers. Ok?"
"Yes sir." She saluted him, making him chuckle.
"I'll see you later."
She waved, and kept waving even as his silhouette disappeared from her line of sight.
"I know that look Marinette." She jumped slightly, turning to look at Tikki.
"I don't know what you mean." She turned, going back inside, but Tikki kept up.
"You know exactly what I mean Marinette!"
"Shhhh, no way. Not at all, he's just a friend, A good friend. I'm comfortable around him is all, I can be myself no pressure. A good friend ok Tikki. Emphasis on friend. He's helping me! That's what friends do."
"Sure, I also go on romantic late night rooftop adventures with my good friends."
"It was not romantic! And he had a girlfriend!" She argued, face blazing.
"Uh huh, sure." Tikki laughed, flying around Marinette's head. "Just be careful ok? I don't want you to make any big mistakes here."
Marinette took a breathe calming down and smiling at her. "I know Tikki, I wont do anything stupid." Tikki smiled, patting her arm gently.
"Good, now let's go see if your mom made anything for dinner!"
"And you say Plagg thinks with his stomach." Marinette laughed, heading downstairs after her.
