A/N: Oh wow, I never thought I would get so many follows/favorites in such a short time! Thank you guys so much :3 As always, if you have any suggestions, feel free to write them in a PM or review!

ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:

SilverIscariot: (bows happily) Ah, thanks so much! I'm really glad you enjoy my one shots! :3

Kyra milady: haha Yeah, I do, been a fan since it started really. Though it always has a special place in my heart, I don't like how the latest seasons had so much fanservice, kinda of a killjoy and distracting from the cool storyline and battles if you ask me, but all the same it was great :)

Marichat4Life: I've written your prompt and I sincerely hope you'll like it! I'm sorry, originally I had something different planned but please tell me if you like it or not! If not, I'll gladly change or write another one shot! :)

Enjoy!

Prompt: During an (akuma) attack, Marinette is surprised how protective and aggressive Chat Noir is (while protecting her).

INFO on chapter: I decided to bump up their ages here a bit, since the prompt is Chat Noir also being quite aggressive while fighting and I just can't picture 13-15-year old Adrien doing that yet . Adrien's age here: 20, Marinette's age: 20

Rated: T (a bit of swearing at the end, violent situations, dark themes, dangerous Chat ahead!)

Part 2 is on Chapter 18: Fangs Bared, Claws Out Part 2

Fangs Bared, Claws Out

"Get me their Miraculouses, Slicer!" Hawkmoth's voice echoed within the man's mind, an invisible force pulling him in and shattering his resolve.

"Yes, Hawkmoth," the tall male called Slicer replied, sinister grin only widening when he leapt out into the open and spread his hand out, fingers morphing into deadly gleaming weapons as he sliced a nearby building in half, "This is nice," chuckling darkly, he reveled in the screams of Paris as it broke into chaos.

Chat Noir panted, standing back to back with Ladybug as they tried figuring out what to do next, "My lady, this is a pretty good time to get ideas!" both ducked when they heard a crashing sound, followed by hissing blades as they swiped over their heads.

Chat Noir extended his staff, growling as he parried the onslaught of metallic blades in his direction, Ladybug deflecting them with her spinning yoyo, "Right!" she could use her Lucky Charm, but if she did, she wouldn't have much time helping Chat fight off the akuma while she figured out what to do it.

The black cat superhero expertly deflected another series of blades, "Could use a little work!" he side stepped a incoming blade, muscles flexing as he evaded them, "Tch, I've fought better," he grinned cockily, watching the rage slowly build in the akuma, causing his movements to become sloppy.

"Calm down Slicer! Don't let yourself become ensnared in his teasing! Think of your future, of becoming a widely acknowledged member of the circus and being able to show off your profession with blades to the elites! Think about it and don't let me down, Slicer!" Hawmoth's voice was full of sinister promises, promises that, as far fetched as they sounded, were appealing to Slicer so he set to work, his blades becoming quicker.

Chat Noir found it harder to parry and deflect, there was a sharp, quick pain on his forearm and Chat Noir's eyes shot down to his arm, where a small cut ripped his suit, only for it to regenerate over his wound. He hissed, ears drawn back, "Chat Noir!" Ladybug's concerned voice made him jump to the right, away from the blades that had imbedded themselves into the pavement.

"Ladybug, what will we do?" they stood back to back again, Ladybug deflecting the blades with her spinning yoyo, for now.

Her mind reeled, she tried thinking of anything to temporarily distract the akuma long enough for them to catch their breath and devise a plan.

And finally, she got an idea. She turned her head to her partner, "Chat Noir, your staff!"

Of all the times, the stupid cat could make stupid puns and innuendos, it had to be now, "Oho, m'lady, not in front of the akuma," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she had the sudden urge to let the blades tear him to shreds.

Her voice was a frantic growl, "Chat Noir!"

The twenty-year old shrugged, green eyes twinkling wickedly in mirth as he pressed a button on his baton and grabbed his partner from around the waist, "At your service!"

The same second Ladybug ceased to spin her yoyo she was already soaring into the air as Chat Noir directed them as far away from the akuma as possible, taking shelter behind buildings and skyscrapers as the akuma's enraged shouts grew duller and duller.

They finally stopped at a park and both heroes panted for breath, "We need a plan," Ladybug wiped her forehead, staring at her yoyo.

Chat Noir panted, muscles contracting and relaxing as he warily watched his partner, "You can say that again,"

Ladybug groaned, running out of every option formulating in her mind, "Let's see…the akuma is someone from the circus, right? Someone handy with blades and knives?" Chat Noir nodded, crossing his arms and Ladybug tried not to let her eyes stray to the prominent muscles hi skin tight suit failed miserably to hide, "He can turn his hands into blades and they can even cut through buildings, so we need to find something durable enough that can't be cut by him and immobilize his hands,"

Chat Noir froze, noticing where his lady's gaze moved, "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. Not my belt," he crossed his arms, "You know, you're using my belt far too often lately, I'm sure there's a good reason behind that. But I don't think leather will stand a chance against him," his tone was dry but contemplative, actually considering the option without voicing it.

Ladybug rolled her eyes, "Enough with the innuendos, Chat. I swear, the older you get the worse your jokes get too," she ignored his kitty eyes, "Listen, your belt is a part of your suit as Chat Noir, our suits are nearly indestructible, so it shouldn't be a problem to tie his hands together and keep the blades from extending, right?"

Chat Noir thought back to the moment when the blades actually managed to cut him and tear through his suit, "Ladybug, it can injure us, at least it tore through my suit just now." He gripped his forearm, a hiss in his voice, "I don't know if those blades are special or not but they can hurt us, given the opportunity. We need to think of something else,"

Ladybug sighed, "You're right," she eyed him suspiciously, "Are you sure you're alright? You're favoring your arm,"

Oh, his lady certainly didn't miss anything, did she?

Chat Noir straightened, "Yeah, I'm fine," it was just a small cut, nothing to make her worry, "Come on, let's get this show on the road," he smirked, readying his staff.

Ladybug rolled her eyes, "Oh really? With what plan?"

Chat Noir smiled, "I might have just thought of something, if that doesn't work, use your Lucky Charm and it may get us out of trouble," he moved forward, already jumping toward the sounds of the rampaging akuma before Ladybug could even begin to voice her protest.

She growled, cursing teenage boys and their stupid recklessness.

They arrived on the scene just in time to witness Slicer attempting to cut the Eiffel Tower, the civilians around them screaming in panic.

And suddenly, both heroes knew what to do when they realized Slicer's blades bounced right back, the sturdy metal of the Eiffel Tower surprisingly withstanding his attacks without visible scratches.

Glancing at each-other, Ladybug and Chat Noir nodded, Ladybug moving to swing towards the Eiffel Tower and hide behind its metal bars while Chat Noir gave a sharp whistle, attracting the akuma's attention, "Now, now, let's cut to the chase, right? Why don't you tell me why you're so upset mister knife-wielder?"

Slicer seemed to grow irritated at Chat, rounding on him and turning his back to the Eiffel Tower, failing to see Ladybug swinging around it, "What would you know, little boy?! Nobody appreciates the art of the circus anymore!" his blades shot out toward Chat Noir and the lithe cat managed to evade them, deflecting them with his baton.

Chat grinned, now nearly head to head with the akuma, his hands still morphed into blades as he attempted to overpower Chat Noir, "Hey, hey, no need to get so edgy. I'm sure a lot of people still appreciate the art since many still visit the circus, you get my point?"

Slicer didn't seem to appreciate puns very much, maybe he also didn't really like Chat Noir much, whatever it was, he applied more pressure and Chat found himself straining to push back, muscles at his back bulging as he tried to gain the upper hand, "Shut up! You're annoying!"

Chat huffed, doing a back flip and bringing his staff up to block a blade thrown his way before landing on his feet, side stepping to avoid Slicer's bladed hands, "Now that was almost a stab in the back, huh?" he jumped back when Slicer tried to have a go at him again, "Ok, look, no need to be so angry. I'm sure we can talk about-omphf!" he was blown back by the blunt force of Slicer's body slamming against him and he fell to the ground, dazed.

"Damn…maybe I should stop it with the puns…" he shook his head, quickly rolling out of the way when Slicer advanced upon him, "Any time now m'lady!"

"Chat Noir!" he whipped his head toward the Eiffel Tower and sure enough, he could see Ladybug waiting for him there, "Here kitty!"

Quickly running away from Slicer's blades, Chat used his staff to propel himself toward the tower, grabbing onto the metal right next to where his lady was, "Please tell me you got a plan,"

The smirk on her face made him feel relieved, his eyes lightened up when he saw she had used her lucky charm, "Awesome! But wait is that-" his expression fell, "…a tape?" he blinked, looking at his partner for clarification.

She looked around, her gaze narrowing at Slicer's wrists and Chat Noir's hand.

She had the cat in the bag.

"Chat Noir, do your thing!" she shouted, jumping away from the protective barrier of the Eiffel Tower.

Chat Noir nodded, maneuvering over his temporary shield of the tower, calling upon his power.

"Cataclysm!"

Ladybug this time distracted the akuma while Chat Noir managed to get close, jumping right in front of him before touching his blades and immediately, the metal shattered leaving only his human hands.

Before the akuma could regenerate his blades, Ladybug quickly tapped his hands while Chat Noir held his wrists together, effectively wrapping Slicer's hands together until they looked like the hands of a mummy. Chat's eyes darted toward Slicer's waist, where a sheath was strapped to it with a blade, "Ladybug!" he gestured to Slicer's pouch and his lady understood, of course she did.

Chat Noir kept a firm grip around Slicer's wrists, it was a battle of strength as the two men struggled while Ladybug quickly grabbed the sheath, "Chat Noir, your baton!" keeping one hand on Slicer's wrists, Chat Noir quickly threw her his baton and Ladybug used it to break the sheath and the blade in half.

Slicer screamed, enraged and desperate, "NO! My blade!" growling, he threw Chat Noir off, causing the youth to stumble to the ground.

But it was too late, the dark butterfly was already in the air when Ladybug called upon her own powers, "Time to de-devilize!" capturing the dark butterfly within her yoyo and grabbing it in her hand.

Opening her yoyo, Ladybug smiled as a pure white butterfly flew out of it into the sky, "Bye, bye, little butterfly," she smiled, "Miraculous Ladybug!" throwing the tape into the air and a bright light engulfed the whole city of Paris, repairing the damage done to the city and purifying Hawkmoth's hold over Slicer, who returned to being normal again.

"Pound it!" Ladybug and Chat Noir did their ritual fist bump, grinning at each-other.

"Ugh…what…what happened?" Slicer, or Pierre the knife wielder, rubbed at his pulsating head, "Huh? Ladybug? Chat Noir?" he looked around, spotting the Eiffel Tower, "Why am I not back in the tent?"

Chat Noir helped steady the man before placing a hand on his shoulder, "You got akumatized sir, but no worries, you're good now," he smiled reassuringly, "And about your talent with knife wielding, I think it's pretty cool," he noticed a small smile appearing on Pierre's lips, "If you ever start doubting yourself, give me a call and you'll see me sitting among your usual fans in the circus tent, alright?"

Pierre, looking overjoyed now, beamed happily at the younger male, "Thank you Chat Noir and I thought not many people appreciate fine art anymore," Chat Noir chuckled.

"There's always someone, Pierre," he winked, watching the now smiling man walk in the direction where he thought was the circus.

"That was nice of you," his lady's voice penetrated his ears and Chat Noir smiled.

"It was nothing, everyone needs a little encouragement every once and a while," he shrugged.

"How is your arm?" Chat Noir smiled at Ladybug's question.

"Fully healed, thank you," he flexed his bicep, causing Ladybug to quickly look away in an attempt not to get distracted.

Damn that kitty and puberty and growing up. Well, he certainly didn't look like a sweet, innocent little kitten anymore, more like full-grown, leanly muscled, sinful cat in too tight-fitting leather. His hair seemed wilder too, which only made his appearance that more striking.

Shaking her head, Ladybug noticed their beeping Miraculouses, "Guess it's time to go," she sent her partner a smile, "I'll see you later for patrol Chat Noir!" and with a swing of her yoyo, she was gone.

Chat Noir sighed, "As always, m'lady," and vanished into the privacy of his own home as well.

Night time arrived pretty quickly for both superheroes and Chat Noir was already at their designated meeting spot on the highest point on the Eiffel Tower, overlooking the quiet city of Paris with a calm eye.

Usually, akuma attacks almost never occurred during the night, perhaps it was something about Hawkmoth's civilian life being too busy during the night or perhaps because akuma's functioned better during the night, during the night it was too dark to see and fight, not for him of course, but alas a disadvantage.

Nonetheless, the two heroes took it upon themselves to patrol the area every night, whether to stop petty thieves or small-fry criminals from getting their way. The older they got, the more dangerous their patrols had become. They couldn't exactly take on a civilian with their full power, so both of them had to be careful when dealing with them and unfortunately, that left many opportunities for the criminals to either get the upper hand or get away.

Thankfully, none had let it come this far, not Ladybug or himself.

Oh, if only he had anticipated the danger before it reared it's ugly head.

He had called his lady, at least five times, each time leaving a message to come to their meeting spot and asking what took her so long.

It wasn't until he was on the verge of calling a sixth time when suddenly his ring pulsed and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, seconds later, an ear-splitting scream tore through the dead of the night and Chat Noir was moving before he realized it, jumping over the roofs expertly while quickly dashing toward the cry for help.

The screaming grew louder the closer he was and finally, what he realized to be just a few blocks away from Marinette's house, stood the said girl in a dark alleyway, cornered by at least three men from what he could tell.

His grip on his staff tightened and Chat Noir tried not to let the intense wave of protectiveness get the better of him as he quickly jumped down into the narrow alleyway.

If it weren't for the protection of his suit, he was sure he would have broken every single bone in his legs and then some. Landing almost soundlessly on the pavement ground, Chat Noir released a loud hiss, standing behind the hulking men who dared to corner his princess.

"And what do you think you're doing, gentlemen?" he could almost taste the venom leaking from his every spoken word, the mentioned men anything but.

They turned, identical dirty grins and sinister sneers on their faces and one of them looked at Chat Noir almost jovially, "Ahh, Chat Noir! Good timing man, we were just about to celebrate,"

Vibrant green eyes narrowed, "Celebrate what?" his eyes flew down to Marinette, who was on the ground, looking…beaten up.

Pupils dilated, and his claws flexed, turning into sharper points than his normal ones as his ears drew back threateningly.

The brutes snickered and laughed, "Well, ya see, one of my buddies here never banged a girl before, can you believe it?" he howled with laughter, "Anyway, we found this pretty little thing wandering aimlessly through the dark, lonely streets and thought why not escort the lady home?"

Chat felt his restraint breaking like threads, one by one, "Doesn't look like escort to me," his gaze flickered down again to Marinette, taking in a forming bruise on her left cheek, bloody nose and messy hair, suggesting a fight.

His eyes stayed on her and she mouthed helplessly 'Help me, kitty'

Cat-like gaze returned to the men, his whole body shaking, "No, no, no, the lady was fine she just needed to learn her place, is all," he had the audacity to grin and Chat Noir, for once, allowed his more…darker side to resurface as he stepped closer to them, about equal in height.

His eyes glowed and his fangs caught the light as they elongated in his deep anger, "Learn her place?" there was a sharp hiss and the sound of leather squeaking as Chat Noir clenched his fists, "I think you're the ones that need to learn their place," his voice dropped a few octaves lower, turning menacing, a terrifying tone Marinette never heard before, "Get the hell away from her,"

The men, sensing the hostility radiating off of him, seemed slightly on edge, but in their half drunken states, failed to note the depth of the situation, "Come on man, don't be such a party pooper, we'll let you have a go at her t-"

Slam

The body fell heavily to the ground with a sickening crack, perhaps a dislocated jaw, or a few broken ribs, and his buddies jumped in fright, "What the hell?! Hey man what was-"

"I told you to get away from her," his fangs flashed threateningly, "didn't I?"

One of them, either drunk or thirsting for a death wish, stepped closer to Marinette, roughly grabbing her hair, "Chill dude, chill, come on, get comfortable and I'll open her pretty little mouth for you-argh!"

Chat Noir stood over Marinette in a second, claws digging into saggy skin as he curled a hand around the idiot's throat, lifting him off the ground, his legs kicking wildly at the air.

Chat's gaze narrowed, pupils turning into thin slits, "Say that again, asshole," the man clawed helplessly at Chat Noir's arm, unable to do any damage due to Chat Noir's suit and the man's scattered concentration.

At Chat's low growl, Marinette froze, frozen in fear at the sheer killing intent and ferocity her longtime friend showed to civilians. She had never seen him like this before, she had seen him angry, albeit those occurrences were rare too, but never so…dark. She didn't know what to make of it but tense and tremble at the sharp hiss that left him and the menacing green his eyes turned into.

He threw the punk into his friend, both men stumbling to the ground.

The third one shakily stood up, fists in the air, his voice an angry, drunken slurr, "H-hey, whyz dat yer so pissy kitty? Huh?" he aimed a poorly timed fist at the furious superhero and before he knew it, he was crying out in pain, his wrist quite possibly broken as Chat's hand curled around it in a death grip.

He pulled the drunk close to his face, eyes blazing a poisonous green as he stared him down, "If I see you anywhere else molesting women, I'll gladly use these claws to shred your dignity to ribbons," he pressed his claw lightly under the man's trembling chin and hearing the man gasp caused a weird satisfaction to swell up in him, "If you ever approach this woman again, I won't be so merciful next time,"

The first drunk, he should have known. The first one he had spoken to had stood up, charging at the leather-clad superhero with blind rage.

Chat Noir released the man he held by his throat, muscles tensing in preparation to slam his fist in the drunk's face.

And suddenly he froze, a small but firm hand gripping his closed fist, "C-Chat, s-stop, you will k-kill them," the voice of his princess, the broken woman on the ground, cleared the cloud of anger away.

Gently, he shook off her grip, advancing on the man.

Instead of punching his lights out and maybe kicking his family jewels and sinking his claws deep into his neck, Chat Noir settled for a quick flick of his wrist, trapping the man's wrist behind his back and bending it painfully.

The man would never forget what Paris' superhero whispered in his ear that night, "Run or I'll show you what Cataclysm does to a human," punctuated by the sudden sharp jab against his side, the man was in a near panic to escape, his barely conscious buddies following suit until Chat Noir couldn't see them anymore.

There was whimpering, and Chat Noir immediately crouched down low to the ground, quickly inspecting Marinette for injuries, "Princess…" gently, cautiously, he retracted his claws and ran a hand over the bruise on her cheek, making her flinch, "I'm so sorry, Marinette," his body was trembling in anger, this time solely directed at himself.

He was too late.

Did she have to get injured before his arrival?

No, of course not.

If only he had been faster-

A small, soft hand gripped his shoulder tightly, "C-Chat, kitty look at me, you're s-shaking," his eyes snapped to hers, "Y-your eyes…"

He averted his gaze, breathing deeply to calm down, "I…" he bit his lip, "I'm sorry,…what you saw…" his ears flattened against his head.

A soft tug on his shoulder made him look back at her, "I…I was scared…" his eyes widened, in all the years he had known her, he rarely ever saw Marinette get scared of anything. She was similar to his lady in that respect.

"…Of…me?" his heart sank, hands shaking as he realized what he must have looked like to her.

Beating up the men like he did, snarling and hissing and baring his fangs at them with the intent to kill. If she hadn't stopped him and brought him to his senses, he wasn't sure how far he would have gone.

He always knew he was followed by bad luck, he had grown to live with it, but dear sweet Marinette? Why did she have to get assaulted? For what?

She surprised him yet again, "N-no…I…I was scared…I would never get you back, kitty," the use of his nickname calmed him instantly and he gathered her carefully in his arms, hugging her tenderly against him.

He heard a sob, then another one and he wasn't sure if it was Marinette or himself.

He just held her, tightly in his arms, and he felt like he would never be able to let her go.

First the akuma that had nearly sliced him and Ladybug into bits and now this?

Somebody must really hate him.

Marinette settled a hand on his forearm, her voice a broken whisper, "C-Chat…p-please get me home,"

Carefully gathering the injured woman in his arms, Chat extended his staff and as smoothly as possible, jumped over the roofs and onto her small balcony.

She had moved out of her parent's house half a year ago he recalled, renting a small apartment near their bakery so she could always go to them when she needed their help. This time, Chat doubted Marinette would want her parents to see her like this.

He carefully pushed open the full-body window of her balcony, which she always left open in case he wanted to surprise visit her, and stepped inside the small but cozy and warm living room.

He didn't switch the lights on, he would do that when he reached her bathroom.

Rubbing her back soothingly, Chat Noir shut the toilet lid down and gently placed Marinette on it, brushing her bangs from her face tenderly and he winced.

Small cuts and bruises dotted her normally impeccable face and he felt his anger rise again. He would hunt them down, he would.

Sensing the anger, Marinette cupped his face in her hands, smiling warmly, "It's alright kitty…" she stroked his cheek softly and he would have purred were he not so angry.

"How can you say that?" he gently lowered her hand down, "How can you say that after what just happened? Those men, Mari, they, they would have-!" he growled, standing up and pacing back and forth, "If I hadn't arrived when I did, if you hadn't screamed for help-!" he cut himself off again, not being able to even think in that direction.

Marinette trembled and immediately her hero in leather armor crouched down by her side, "I'm sorry, Mari," he sighed heavily, broad shoulders once so tense sagging in defeat, ears laid flat against his skull in silent apology.

Marinette smiled, running her hand through his messy hair, "Silly kitty," she released a short giggle, "I'm here…I-I'm fine, for the most part," she smiled and Chat Noir forced a small smile, shaking his head.

Standing up, he grabbed her first aid kit he knew she stored in her cabinet behind the small mirror above the sink, placing the box on the floor and taking out a roll of gauze, disinfectant spray and plasters.

He was silent as he, as gently as he could, cleaned and dressed her wounds like she did to him so many times in the past after he either came stumbling, unconsciously, to her house after a difficult akuma fight or otherwise.

Every time she winced or drew back, he would wince in sympathy, knowing how it pained her. He was kicking himself for not arriving sooner, he could have spared her the pain but every time his thoughts took him there, Marinette would try to distract him, either with soft chin rubs or casual conversation.

He honestly didn't know how he was the one barely controlling his emotions, how Marinette didn't rightfully get angry and break down or something.

Then again, it was Marinette.

Strong-willed, smart, forgiving, kind Marinette.

After he was done, he reorganized her first aid kit and stored it in it's rightful place again, before scooping her up in his arms carefully.

Her soft voice sounded clearer now, "I'm not gonna break kitty,"

Oh, he knew but after today, he was terrified to even let her out of his sight and Marinette knew, judging by the reflexive tightening of his arms around her and his guarded eyes watching her every move, that he would be a frequent house guest from today on.

Until she fully recovered anyway.

She was surprised how he didn't ask about Ladybug, why she didn't come to patrol. In truth, Marinette had been on the way home to pick up Tikki and transform, after having gone to the bakery to make sure it was locked and secure since her parents went on another culinary convention outside of Paris.

He carried her to her kitchen, making sure she ate before going to sleep. Since this was Marinette, she had naturally forced him to eat with her and he couldn't deny his growling stomach when the delicious looking pastries had been practically shoved into his face.

So, they ate, striking up conversation every so often, mostly it was Marinette speaking, which was a surprise on itself since Chat Noir was known for his excessive speech box.

She sensed his troubled state and was at a war with herself if she should address it or leave it be until morning.

He answered it for her though, "Did…" he swallowed thickly, eyes slowly moving up to meet hers, "Did they…do anything else to you?" his eyes narrowed, daring her to lie.

She sighed, reaching across the table to grab his clawed hand, squeezing tightly, reassuringly, "No Chat, nothing else happened. I was careless and…" she bit her bottom lip, "…and got myself hurt,"

His eyes flashed, and Marinette knew she had said the wrong thing, "It's not your fault! Those bastards, they, they-!" his fist trembled, "I swear, when I-"

Marinette quickly cut him off, moving from her seat to stand in front of him and hug him tightly, "Chat, please, it's alright." Her voice was a soft whisper, a tremble evident in it, "I…I'm alright," she hugged his head tightly, but Chat didn't mind, wrapping his strong arms around her waist and pulling her into his embrace, tucking her head beneath his chin.

A low, purring sound reverberated from his throat and he was too caught up in the moment to feel embarrassed or suppress it and Marinette felt calmed by the sound and the feel from his chest, a gentle vibration that made her feel warm and safe and secure.

They sat there, for what felt like an eternity and Chat noticed the deep rhythmic breathing against him, signaling she fell asleep.

Slowly standing up and keeping a firm grip around her, Chat Noir switched off the lights in the kitchen, dishes could be done tomorrow, all that mattered was the precious, sleeping cargo in his arms.

Navigating his way to Marinette's bedroom, Chat gently kicked the door open with his foot. Carefully balancing her weight with one arm, Chat Noir moved the covers of her bed away, slowly settling her on her soft bed.

He righted himself, pulling the covers over her and tucking her in. A warm, fond smile spread over his lips, his gaze soft, pupils dilated, "My princess…"

Gently brushing her bangs from her face, Chat Noir resisted the urge to place a kiss there as he made his way to the door, only to stop suddenly in his tracks.

There was a tug on his tail and he turned his head to look at his sleeping princess.

Marinette's hand was firmly wrapped around his tail, tugging gently, "Stay…kitty…" her whisper was so quiet, but sounded so loud in his ears, in the peaceful quietness of her apartment and he couldn't help but to try and resist her offer, as tempting as it sounded.

Sensing his resistance, Marinette tugged on his tail again and finally, Chat Noir sighed and walked on the other side of her bed, lifting the covers up and slipping in beside her.

He wasn't sure what to do with his hands, he wasn't sure if hugging her , like he so badly wanted to, was appropriate but once again, his princess surprised him by scooting closer to him, her back now pressed against his front.

Chat's throat ran dry and Marinette reached a hand back and grabbed his own, bringing it forward and kissing the leather encased knuckles gently, softly, then settling them to rest on her stomach.

His heart squeezed, feeling overwhelmed by pure affection for this woman and he pressed himself even closer, slipping his other arm around her and hugging her tightly to him, nose buried in her hair.

He felt drowsy, heavy, sleepy all at once and he, not for once in his life, wondered what kind of effect she had on him.

He nuzzled into her hair and she sighed contently, "Good night kitty," he smiled, nuzzling her again as he leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss on top of her head.

"Good night, princess," he purred softly and let himself be lulled to sleep by the quietness of the night, the scent of his princess all around him and the comforting feeling of her body and warmth against him.

He may be flawed, an omen of bad luck, a vicious predator when angered, ready to attack its prey with the intent to kill, but she, this woman, managed to calm the raging beast inside him and bring out everything that was good in him, just like his lady.

With a reflexive twitch of his hand, he interlocked their fingers together on her stomach and in a movement, he wasn't entirely sure was done in her sleep, Marinette tightened her grip on his hand and squeezed back.

Phew…oh jeez, that was dark. As I said, first time writing for this fandom, hope it wasn't too OOC! ^^