DISCLAIMER: "A Whole New World" is from Disney's Aladdin.
Marinette hoped her mother and father wouldn't get it into their heads to come upstairs just now. She didn't particularly care to try and explain to them why she was out on the balcony at night, made up to perfection, wearing a knee-length strapless red dress that she'd last worn when she was a bridesmaid at a cousin's wedding and gazing out over the Paris skyline. She hadn't been kidding when she spoke to Cat Noir about the dangers of supportive parents, and she was drawing a blank trying to come up with any false explanations that wouldn't get her into even more trouble.
God, I hope this works out, she thought. This is going to be my first date with Adrien, sort of. I really don't want to mess anything up.
She suppressed the temptation to giggle. At least the nerves go with my cover story. Marinette Dupain-Cheng barely knows Cat Noir, and probably has a bit of a hero-crush on him. It's perfectly natural for her to have butterflies in her stomach-
Marinette winced at the sudden mental image of a black-winged akuma landing on her chest, dissolving into mind-twisting darkness. There was a thump behind her and she started, almost flipping over the railing before she caught herself and turned around. Sure enough, Cat Noir was standing behind her with a Cheshire cat grin on his face.
"Hello, Purr-incess," said Cat Noir.
"Hello, Cat Noir," said Marinette, trying to calm her racing heart.
Cat Noir gave her a long, appreciative look from head to toe, the sort of look that Adrien Agreste would never give, the sort of look that made Marinette's face blush to match her dress. "Well, well," he purred. "Don't you look lovely all dolled up? Good thing we're only fake dating. If I were about to take you on a real date, I'd be seriously worried for your purr-ity."
Marinette made a squeaking noise and tried not to melt into a puddle of goo. Mask or no mask, that was Adrien standing in front of her, saying things and giving her looks he'd only said in her dreams. "Ready for your su-purr-ise?" he asked.
Marinette took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.
"Then let's be off," said Cat Noir. One clawed finger flicked down to tap the cat's-paw icon on his staff where it hung from his belt. On cue, music began to play.
"I can show you the world
shining, shimmering, splendid."
Those things are so handy, thought Marinette. Is there anything they can't -EEP!
Cat Noir bounded forward and literally swept her off her feet, catching her into a bridal carry.
"Tell me, princess, now when did
you last let your heart decide?"
Marinette threw her arms around Cat Noir's neck as he leapt from her balcony, arcing through the air to land on a rooftop across the street.
"I can open your eyes
take you wonder by wonder
over, sideways and under
on a magic carpet ride."
As soon as he landed, he was off running, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with inhuman strength and grace. Marinette clung to him in mingled terror and exhilaration as Paris flashed by beneath his feet.
"A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
no one to tell us no
or where to go
or say we're only dreaming"
This was nothing like roof-hopping as Ladybug. That was skill and freedom and control. As Ladybug, she knew that she could go where she wished and do as she liked. But now she'd been both literally and metaphorically swept off her feet, and all she could do was cling to Cat Noir for dear life and enjoy the ride.
"A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
it's crystal clear
that now I'm in a whole new world with you"
Of course, her hormones didn't help matters either. She was in the arms of her crush, pressed up against his chest so hard she could feel his heartbeat through the smooth leather. More level-headed girls than she would have been giddy with desire in such a situation.
"Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
through an endless diamond sky"
"Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling" indeed, thought Marinette. I never imagined tonight would feel like this. And "unbelievable sights" as well. Even now, there's part of me that expects to wake up. Oh God, if this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up.
"A whole new world
Don't you dare close your eyes
a hundred thousand things to see"
Where the heck are we going anyway? Marinette twisted against Cat Noir's chest, and suddenly saw the Eiffel Tower looming up in front of her. Oh my God.
"I'm like a shooting star
I've come so far
I can't go back to where I used to be"
How true that is, thought Marinette as an almost hysterical laugh burst from her lips. Even if I wanted to, I can't go back, not now. Once I knew Adrien was Cat Noir, neither of our relationships would ever be the—WHOA!
Suddenly, Cat Noir's arms shifted beneath her. One arm clasped her to his chest, while the other whipped out his staff from his belt. The music continued unabated as Cat Noir planted his staff and used it to vault up, up, up…
"A whole new world
with new horizons to pursue
I'll chase them anywhere
There's time to spare
Let me share this whole new world with you"
At the peak of their arc, Cat Noir's staff leapt out to catch in the iron girders of the Eiffel Tower. The staff bent like a bow and then sprang back, hurling them upwards and inwards even as it retracted into his hand in a flash of silver.
"A whole new world
That's where we'll be
A thrilling chase
A wondrous place
For you and me."
With a thud, Cat Noir landed atop the Eiffel Tower, and gently set Marinette on her feet. A wave of one claw-gloved hand indicated the blanket and cooler he must have set out in advance. "We're here, Purr-incess," he said.
Marinette took a shaky breath and tried to calm her racing heart.
"That was... quite a ride," she said breathily.
"I had a feline you would like it, Purr-incess," said Cat Noir with a broad grin. "Figured if I was going to ask you to be my fake girlfriend, the least I could do was show you a good time on our fake date."
She pointed to the picnic blanket and cooler. "I'm guessing that's the other half of the 'su-purr-ise'?"
"Claw-some deduction, ma princesse," said Cat Noir, opening the cooler and starting to pull out the contents. "Let's see, we have assorted sandwiches, grapes, apple slices, bottled water, soda pop..." He let out a very Cat Noir-ish snicker. "... and what's this here at the bottom? Why, I do believe it's champagne!" He straightened to produce a small bottle, with the head wrapped in foil.
"Champagne?" echoed Marinette. "Seriously, Cat Noir, I'm starting to wonder who it is you've actually got the crush on. Especially as I still haven't the foggiest idea how any of this is supposed to convince Ladybug that we're dating."
Though it's certainly doing a good job of convincing her right now, she thought with a mental giggle.
"Ah, that's the easy part," said Cat Noir with a laugh. "See, what struck me last night was that I don't want to convince the public that we're dating, I just want to convince Ladybug. So all I need is to take a few photos of the two of us enjoying a romantic midnight picnic together, maybe with a kiss thrown in for good measure, and show those to Ladybug. She'll be convinced, but the public in general and certain parents and Ladybloggers in particular won't be motivated to hound you to the ends of the earth."
That... is actually really clever, thought Marinette. If he'd picked any other girl to try this with, it might even have worked. I wonder if it counts as good or bad luck that he happened to pick me? On the one hand, he picked the one girl who was guaranteed to make his fake dating scheme fail. But on the other, if his scheme had worked, I would have been relieved, not jealous. Or well, I might have been a little jealous, but I'd have repressed it because I was in love with Adrien and had no business crushing on Cat Noir. As it is, now I know that Cat Noir is the boy I secretly love.
So he inadvertently ruined his scheme and achieved the goal he'd designed the scheme to achieve, all at once. What are the odds?
"That's very clever of you," she said out loud, allowing herself a small smile.
"Why, thank you," said Cat Noir with a flamboyant bow. "Chicken and cheddar or ham and swiss?"
"Chicken," replied Marinette.
Cat Noir selected a ham and cheese sandwich, and the two of them took their seats. Cat Noir fiddled with his staff for a moment, then held it at arm's length.
"Smile for the camera!" he said.
Marinette tucked herself up next to Cat Noir and smiled shyly. There was a flash of green from the staff, and then Cat Noir pulled it in closer.
"Purr-fect," he said, and Marinette had to agree. The photo-Marinette looked utterly adorable, while the photo-Cat had all the dashing charm of Cat Noir at his most reckless. And the two of them looked perfectly comfortable together. If Marinette were anyone else, that photo would have convinced her that the two of them were at least close, if not actually dating.
Neither of the two said much until the sandwiches were finished. For Marinette's part, she didn't dare say too much for fear of revealing her true identity before the perfect moment. And as for Cat Noir, though she wasn't sure, she guessed that he had run out of flirty dialogue. After all, it wasn't as though Adrien got too many chances to practice.
Or perhaps it was simply that neither of them wanted to break the moment. Their picnic had taken on an oddly dream-like quality. Their silence seemed somehow indescribably appropriate, and any talking seemed somehow as inappropriate as talking in the middle of a church service, or shouting in a library.
As Marinette was finishing up her sandwich, the vague ideas that had been percolating around in her brain suddenly came together.
Dear Lord, that would be the perfect revenge on Cat Noir for what he's trying to do to me. I just hope I can pull it off.
She took a deep breath. "I-I think this would be a good time for that champagne," she said, trying to keep her tone soft and nervous. Which wasn't that hard to do, considering that she was suddenly once again acutely aware that she was sharing a romantic picnic atop the Eiffel Tower with Adrien Agreste.
"I believe it would," said Cat Noir. He stripped off the foil and sent the cork rocketing off into the distance.
Wonder where that will end up? thought some little corner of Marinette's mind.
With commendable dexterity, Cat Noir poured the champagne into a pair of flutes.
"Cheers," he said, raising his glass.
"Cheers," echoed Marinette, and they each took a sip of their champagne.
Marinette had never had champagne before, but she suddenly understood what all the hype was about. No wonder champagne's the symbol of love, she thought. It's sweet and bubbly and fiery all at once, just like a girl should be.
"And, uh," said Marinette, and she had no idea how much of the tremor in her voice was the shock of the champagne, how much was nerves, and how much was her desire for Adrien, "you said something earlier about... a kiss?"
Cat Noir smiled. "Indeed I did, ma princesse. If you don't think that would be going too far?"
"N-No," she stuttered. "I don't mind."
Cat Noir's smile grew. "Just a moment..." he said, setting down his champagne glass. One hand flicked his staff to camera-mode, the other wrapped around Marinette and pulled her closer to him.
Wait for it... thought Marinette as Cat Noir - as Adrien - leaned in. Wait for it... Now!
"Tikki," she whispered. "Spots on!"