Marinette had been thinking over everything that had happened at Adrien's house for almost a week now, and she was getting nowhere with herself. School had been canceled on Monday, after a declaration that the entire week was to be one to celebrate his little girl's birthday. Chloe's birthday had been convenient for her, she had gotten an entire week off now, and there had not been one Akuma attack-which actually worried her.
She had also been concerned with Hawk Moth's Kwami Nooroo, but she had not made it around to checking in with Master Fu this whole week, which was a bit irresponsible of her as well. Her mind drifted back to her time with Adrien in the kitchen, everything had seemed so natural, it just seemed to happen for them, and Marinette couldn't deny that when she was with him inexplicable happiness came over her. His smile that night had been in her head all the time lately. He was happy too she could tell, to be around her, and that made a smile blossom on her face.
"Oh, Adrien..." She said quietly as she put dishes away. She was here alone today, the Mayor had asked her parents to cater the event specifically, and she had no doubt that Chloe made sure that she wouldn't be there with them. She had been in charge of the house and was positively bored out of her mind. What she wouldn't do for some company, but she kinda needed the alone time for a bit.
Humming she continued to put things away, but she heard a thump come from upstairs, pausing she turned her head up, but she quickly shook off the ridiculous thought that someone was upstairs.
"Pfft, no one's gonna break into my house." She said quietly and she gave a giggle and turned around, only to find an amused pair of glowing green eyes staring mischievously at her.
"AHHHHH!" She screamed as she threw herself backward, hitting her hip harshly on the counter as she did so. Her eyes went wide as the pain flooded through her system.
"Oh, sugar snaps!" She said loudly and gave a quiet squeal of pain as her hip screamed at her to stop moving.
Laughter reached her ears as she turned angrily at the person who had caused her such pain. Chat Noir couldn't be less like himself as he hunched over, tears practically spurting from his eyes as he tried to breath.
"Su-su-sug-!Ha! HA! HAHA!" He laughed harder and fell to the ground, banging his hands on the ground. Marinette suddenly found herself embarrassed and confused. Confused because Chat was in her house, and embarrassed because she had totally just said 'sugar snaps' in front of him in place of a curse.
Blushing furiously she kicked him lightly in the side. "Chat! Why are you here?! You gave me a heart attack!" She pouted, she knew that she had heard something upstairs, she shoulda gone with her gut the first time!
He calmed down rather quickly once he heard her talk and he looked up at her from the floor. He smiled that devilish grin and winked.
"Well little lady, I saw that you were dying of boredom and decided to keep you company!" He waited for her reaction but it was just a face that Alya had once called her 'derp face' whatever that was.
She continued to look at him and suddenly her mind flashed back to Adrien's eyes, how he had looked when she was sitting on the counter, his eyes were blazing and waiting, fearful but hopeful, all the things that could drive a girl wild. She saw some of those things in Chat's eyes, they were smoldering and they were patient, they knew more than they let on, they were wild but he still had that leash that was unobtainable by none other than Ladybug.
"You..came to keep me company?" She said quietly and watched as he got up slowly, and smiled again at her this time more calmly and less flirtily.
He nodded and placed his hands behind his head. "That's right, I figured that since today is the princess festival, I might'es well visit the princess!" Chat explained as she looked at him curiously.
"What's that?" She said as she made her way upstairs, she was feeling a little exhausted and she definitely believed that laying down would be the remedy. He followed her all the way upstairs and he laid down comfortably on her chaise as she laid on her bed, watching him the whole time.
"Didn't you hear? The mayor put together an entire week of fun for his daughter, Chloe, and today is the last day." He stretched out lazily on her chaise and smiled as he basked in the sun. "There's going to be a huge festival later tonight, with music and live performances and all that good stuff, it sounds pretty fun to me." He opened his shining eyes and looked at her, he smiled as he stared at her and it seemed to go on forever. Marinette couldn't bring herself to break eye contact with him.
She would never admit it as Ladybug, but she cared very deeply for her Silly Kitty. He was always there, no matter what she said or did, he supported her all the way. He was the light in the heavy world they as superheroes lived in. He brought jokes to the party no matter where it was, and he always managed to say something that made her smile.
No, she would never say it as Ladybug, but she could say it as Marinette, the normal girl, the one he called Princess.
"Chat?" She said quietly, but he was still focused on her, so she took that as an initiative to continue. "You mean a lot to me." His eyes became wide and he looked panicked briefly for a moment.
"You're so brave, you fight every day, and you're always put as 'sidekick'." She said, and she yawned as she did so. She wasn't oblivious to the rumors about Chat Noir only being Ladybug's sidekick, they made her angry, and she wanted to scream at those people that he meant more than they would any day.
But she couldn't.
"It's not fair," She sniffled and shut her eyes as he got up, afraid he was going to leave. "You do so much, and no one ever tells you how great you are..." She was not going to cry, but she could feel the tears gather in her eyes. "Your smile brings me happiness, you know?" She smiled as she thought about all his goofy moments. Her throat constricted in her anxiety flushed away. "You are always able to bring joy to any moment, even if its with a really cheesy pun." He probably had no idea why she was saying this because the only one who had been there for those moments was Ladybug and a few bystanders-Marinette was never one of them.
The brightness was suddenly gone from behind her closed eyelids, and she opened them slightly as she saw the black leather in front of her, and she looked up at Chat's face and found that his eyes were closed. He fell to his knees and laid his head right in front of her own, inching closer when she sat her head up. He opened his one visible eye half-lidded and looked directly into her eyes.
"No one has ever told me that." He said softly, watching her reaction as he looked into her eyes. Her throat began to quiver and she clenched her sheets in between her hands, no, no one had ever told him that, and she was so pissed off at herself for never saying those simple words to him.
"You deserve to hear those words every single day..." She had no shame as she bent down and curled her arms around his head, laying her own atop his. She didn't care what this looked like, or what insinuations might be made. She cared for Chat Noir, and there was no shame in admitting that she cared for such a wonderful person.
His hand gripped her upper arm as he shoved his face into her neck, she could hear him breathing harshly through his teeth, and knew that he was trying to get himself together.
"Your actions today just prove me right," She said, her voice small and gentle. "You came to visit me because you knew I was all alone, and you wanted to keep me company." She ran one hand up through silky hair. "You are a superhero that deserves the world," She closed her eyes as she heard his breathing return to normal. "My silly kitty..." She said into his hair, breathing in his scent as she fell asleep.
Chat Noir was beside himself as he removed her arms from around him. She was...so different...
She had been so kind to him and had told him the words that he'd been wanting to hear from Ladybug all along, and somehow it felt even better coming from someone who didn't expect the best from him every time. She only wanted him to be him, not the sidekick, not the backup, not number two.
Just Chat Noir.
He watched her for a while after that, just examining her features as they were, as she slept as if he hadn't gotten enough time looking at her almost a week ago. He was no fool, he had seen what had happened in the kitchen, well actually he had NO idea at all what had been going on-but he knew that it was going somewhere!
He was a little embarrassed about the situation and he had been churning it around in his mind all week, the way she'd looked at him with those eyes, and the way her breath ghosted across his face made him shiver. She had been so beautiful sitting there, just being herself around him for once, and it had felt nice to know that his friend didn't hate him, she was just a nervous ball of well, nerves!
He stood up after a while, an idea tossing in his head. He grabbed a piece of parchment paper from Marinette's desk and completely trying to ignore the pictures of himself that hung on the walls, he wrote a note to her, with his name signed at the bottom, and he smiled as he set it next to her on the bed. She looked so peaceful, and it hit him how much he truly valued Marinette-not just as his friend-but as a person in general, and that pleasantly warm feeling that overtook his chest every time he was with her made him believe that Marinette had a significance in his life that none of his other friends could hold a candle to.
She was just that sunshiny brightness that lit up his dark world.
When Marinette awoke, she was left to see the note on her side, it had a little drool on it but she could still read it no problem.
Purrincess, when you wake up I hope that you smile at my pun.
Marinette took a moment to wipe the stupid grin off her face as she continued to read.
I want to take you out tonight, to the princess festival, because we are pal's aren't we?
Be ready by 8:00, I'll be there!
Oh, and princess? Keep your hair down, you look beautiful with it worn that way.
~Chat Noir (~Otherwise known as Prince Charming~)
She completely went blank, fearing the worst she grabbed her phone from her jacket pocket and was unsurprised to find the time at 7:25.
"NO! Oh god! I still have to shower! AH! And pick out what I'm gonna wear! OH GOD, WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR!?" Marinette screamed as she hauled butt to her bathroom and turned the spray on full blast. She didn't even notice that a particular black hoodie was missing from her room as she woke up.
15 minutes later she exited, with her hair washed and partially dried and brushed out nicely. She made for her dresser and decided that this time, she would not wear a dress out again, because that was a disaster. She pulled out some shorts with fringed tips and was happy that they went down to at least mid-thigh. She had to find a shirt now, and fast. She reached into her dresser and randomly pulled up a shirt. She stopped when she found it, not even knowing where it came from.
Where do I get all these clothes I've never even seen before? She lamented over the loss of her normal pastel pink pants, but alas, today was laundry day.
The color was lavender, the same as the dress had been, and it tied around her neck, but it covered everything so she was fine with it. She went to the bathroom to change, a little fearful that Chat might come earlier than promised. If she was being honest with herself, she looked really good! She smiled at herself in the mirror and applied what little makeup she wears. (She wears like eyeliner in the TV show, look close, you'll see it).
Her heart was beating away in her chest, but she knew that it was probably from the fact that she'd be blatantly going out with him as Marinette on a friendly adventure, but as Ladybug she would never even remotely consider it. When she was Ladybug it was more serious because Chat had feelings for Ladybug, and even as Marinette she knew that, and that made going out with him that much easier. Because she didn't have to be forcefully rude to him, she could just say how she felt and there would be no repercussions because, in the long run, Chat had no ties to Marinette.
Only to Ladybug.
And the thought calmed her racing heart enough for her to step out onto her balcony that evening, and grab the hand of an awaiting superhero.
"You look stunning Princess, I might just have to steal you away." He winked playfully at her and she let all those inhibitions go.
Because Chat was just a friend.
Nothing more. Ever.
The concert had been just as good as Chat made it out to be. Jagged Stone was playing! And he was a fan of the rockstar too! They sat on a nearby rooftop with a wonderful view, so that Chat wouldn't be swarmed by fans of his and Jagged Stones'. They listened to the Mayor talk about how wonderful and amazing his daughter Chloe was, and they both gagged as she walked on stage, the mechanical clapping of Parisians in the background.
"Now lady's and gentlemen!" Called Mayor Bourgeois out to the crowd as they quieted down. "Since today is my little girl's special day, I want you all to give her your praise and love! The fireworks will be starting shortly!" He said as he walked off stage. Chloe still stood there, waiting for her 'praise and love' but nothing came, no one but Sabrina clapped, and then everyone else just joined in afterward, so they wouldn't upset their mayor.
"Oh, can we stay for the fireworks Chat?" Marinette asked excitedly as she turned to look at him, he had his baton out.
"Of course Princess! I just have to take care of something really quickly! Be right back!" He called as he leaped from roof to roof.
Marinette sighed as she looked into her bag, finding Tikki there, and her small friend flew out slowly as she sat in Marinette's lap. "Are you excited to watch the fireworks with Chat Noir Marinette?" Her Kwami inquired as she giggled.
"Well I wanna watch them with you too Tikki." Marinette said as she watched the darkening sky, the stars were already coming out, and from what she could tell, Mayor Bourgeois must've had the city council agree to shut all the lights in the city down, because only one beacon of light was on, and that was the Eiffel Tower, the rest of the city lay in darkness, everyone was watching the fireworks. "It sure is beautiful out tonight..."
"Princess? Who are you talking to?" a voice called out from behind her and Tikki was suddenly gone from her lap but she didn't do anything but smile.
"No one, just myself," She giggled and she noticed the fairly large bag he carried at his side. "What's in the bag?" She said as he walked closer. He kneeled down and opened up the bag.
"Just a few things from my house, I didn't think that you wanted to sit on a cold roof without a blanket, so I brought my own." he pulled out a large lavish duvet and settled it onto the concrete of the flat roof. She marveled at its softness and immediately sunk into it. It smelled amazing! Just like Adrien's shirt smelled amazing, it was kinda weird how boy's always managed to smell better than girls did, but she opted for not knowing their secret.
A small looking wine bottle was held in front of her face and she looked up at Chat as he laughed. "It's not wine, its sparkling cider, it's very popular in America, or at least that's what my father said." He commented as she took it from him, she looked at it curiously and slowly but surely managed to work the cap off. She was hesitant to taste it, but when it hit her tongue she almost sighed in delight.
It tasted like heaven.
"This tastes," she took another sip from the bottle. "amazing!" he laughed and mock bowed as she fervently drank the bubbly substance.
"Why thank you Princess!" He laughed and she was brought back to her time with Adrien again. He had said those exact words to her, and he had even said them in the same tone, but...but Chat was just being himself! When Adrien said those words he was just joking around, so...another thought hit her. She was out here, having a lovely time with Chat Noir, but all she could think about was Adrien, she was angry with herself. She could think about Adrien again when she got home, right now though, this was her time to be free from thoughts that would put her into an anxiety attack.
Just as she was about to say something, overhead a loud explosion sounded and color erupted in the sky, and her attention was drawn there. She watched as the night sky was illuminated by those glorious bursts of color.
When Chat sat next to her, she could only smile, and a flush came to her cheeks as she looked up at him, and he looked at her. The loud bursts in the air didn't keep them from looking at each other, or the thoughts that came with it.
Because at the end of the day, she was just a girl, and he was just a boy, and they were both waiting for a love that would most likely never happen.
And while they had no ties to each other, that didn't mean that they couldn't pretend to be completely different people, who didn't have obligations to their hearts, who didn't have to go back tomorrow, and who wanted nothing more than to stay here, and pretend that everything was right in the world.
And as Marinette laid her head on his shoulder she couldn't help but wish that tomorrow when she woke up, she could be that person with no obligations, to anything.
For one day only, ever.
But fate had other plans for the two people who wished for nothing more than love from someone who didn't love them back.
I kinda liked this chapter ngl, I had fun writing the MariChat part, but at the same time I found it hard because my Adrienette was screaming at me that I was ruining shit by bringing Chat Noir in, so I slammed the door and locked it and forced myself to get a part out about my fav MBL ship.
Also, thank you so much for the follows and reviews! They mean so much to me and they definitely make me get my ass up and write, so just saying, if you ever want an update, you better review.
To Araceli thank you for reviewing, but no so far I don't have out a schedule, but I know that as this story goes on updates are going to be a bit slower, ya'll are just lucky that I'm in the fever right now!
Thank you all so much! Love you guys!