Because I can...

Chat had a few questions himself that night as he wriggled his way free from her endless strands of hair. Each limb freed raised a new question. How did she learn everything she knows? He knew she was well read from observation, but enough to have memorized them? His arm tasted fresh air, wiggling his fingers and stretching. Who was this Papillion? Why did he leave Marinette here for days at a time? His torso was released, moving onto his legs. Did she leave the tower? Finally, he had gotten his legs free. He would have made a mad dash for the window, but one thing kept him from climbing down the stone bricks. A jewel she had not brought up since he had come here. As quietly as he could, Chat covered her hair with a blanket, slinking around the room, and began searching for his satchel.

Nothing was hidden anywhere. There were no secret compartments, Fabrics took up space under the bed, blankets and clothes filled up her wardrobe; if there was anything to find, it was out in the open. She had a few pictures on stands around the room. Most of them were of landscapes, places he had been to. There was a picture of the ocean, on the shore beside the kingdom. He had mentioned its name once or twice, but Marinette had never expressed any emotion other than longing. Every scene looked familiar, on the tip of his tongue, but just out of reach.

Even the books on the bookshelf were vaguely familiar to Adrien. He remembered the sewing book that he had flipped through, the cookbook he burned his finger in trying to learn, and even the fairytales he had fawned over as a kid. The Tales of Bon Chance and Malchance, a guardian of knowledge, even Turtles and Foxes. Books he didn't remember existed and books he hadn't seen in years; here in this mahogany bookcase. That was another thing, the furniture here and the supplies were so big, lavish, and expensive. How did it get up here? Who paid for it all? The books were all leather back, her bed sheets were silk, imported, and even her vanity had actual jewels embedded into the wood and painted very meticulously, the work of a Ceasar.

They all looked like fancy bribes. From Papillion, perhaps? Marinette didn't go into much detail about Papillion, but it unsettled him. This man sounded as if he was being patient on purpose. From her stories, Chat could conclude that she didn't get out much. There was always this desire for more behind her eyes, even when she was talking about being grateful for what she had. She didn't mention a lot about her life, or her past, no matter what Chat did to coax her. It seemed as if she was hiding from something, and for once it wasn't his reputation. He remembered the first night so vividly...

Marinette looked cautious as she bit her lip in thought, grabbing some blankets and a change of clothes, eyebrows creasing inward. Plagg followed her in amusement, meowing every so often and scaring her. Chat's eyes followed her as she paced, studying her. This odd redhead was frantic and Adrien knew why. Obviously, it was because he was "Chat Noir" and he was rumored to kill people in other kingdoms, steal entire houses, and gorge on food.

Now, Adrien could admit he was clever, but an entire house? Seriously? The murder and gluttony were common rumors among thieves, but his rumors had gotten out of control as of late. It was even rumored that he was hiding the Princess and she was his mistress. First off, that would have made Chat Noir twice his age, and second, Chat Noir had only been active as of four years ago, so that one died the day it hit the streets.

"What are you doing?" Marinette stopped and looked at him, confused.

"Getting blankets so I won't be cold." Chat made an "o" with his mouth. When it came to his attention, it was getting rather cold. The only thing that kept him relatively warm was Mari's hair, but hair wasn't very warm. Silently, he looked around, trying to see if there was anything his fingers could reach. There wasn't much around him, let alone anything for warmth. Great, Chat thought, I'm going to freeze to death before I even have time to escape. But that was when the first act of kindness struck. He didn't notice, but Marinette had been watching him.

Chat looked up as she stood over him, laying a large blanket over his figure. It was a beautifully stitched quilt with borders over each square. He couldn't see the pictures, but he didn't doubt that the squares were as expertly crafted as the lining was stitched. It was warm, filled with wool on the inside that had probably been bathed in mint leaves. She didn't say anything, but there was a tiny smile at the ends of her lips.

"Aren't you scared?" She looked down at him, chuckling.

"Of a guy who wears cat ears? No. But that doesn't mean I trust you." He could tell she wasn't quite convinced herself, but it was nice to know she was trying not to be afraid of him. Though, it was sad to know she was.

Shaking his head, Chat got back into the zone, checking the bookshelf for any sign of a hidden pocket or a trap door. Nothing, not even a hole for a mouse to hide in. Finally, he decided to check downstairs. Chat took small steps, making sure not to trip as he made his descent into the unknown. There wasn't much down there either. Foodstuffs, not lavish items, not a knife in sight, and a small alcove which he assumed was for bathing. It was like she was trying to live a minimalist lifestyle. There was nothing wrong with it, but it was hard to imagine life without knives and whisks. This girl was just living, there was no guarantee that she had ever seen the world or its inhabitants. Marinette, when she did talk to him, was clear in her views that there were bad things in the world that would go after her. Chat hadn't done much to deny it, but he had asked her about the things she had seen and Mari could never reply with an answer. She would clam up and think hard for a while until something distracted her.

The only other thing in the room that wasn't Marinette was Plagg, who was resting in her arms. Her blankets had rolled onto the floor in her sleep, her shivering form obvious against the pink couch-like furniture. Pale lips trembling as the cold air brushed against them. Chat paused his search. On instinct, he picked up the blanket and gently laid it over the both of them. The thoughts he had upstairs and looking around screaming at him, but one single thought stood out among the rest. Her ocean eyes had looked toward the window often during the hours she spent with him. There was always a hidden sigh when the topic of the outside was brought up. It was a question that he hadn't expected to cause so much distress in his mind.

Had she ever left the Tower?

Giving up on his search for the crown, he decided it was best to leave it. At least no one else would ever be able to retrieve it, and his contact was probably long gone by now. He hadn't found his bag either, so Chat's first stop would have been in the middle of the woods. Swiftly, he made it to the window. It wasn't his problem. Marinette wasn't a priority. She obviously had someone taking care of her. Chat would never be able to take care of her, protect her, and keep on being the thief of the kingdom at the same time. His foot rested on the window ledge. She would be happy that he was gone. Disappointments didn't deserve to be around rays of light. His hands joined his feet, ready to climb down.

But Marinette had never looked at him that way. He was not to be trusted, but she didn't treat him badly. His hands let go. She had been kind to him, despite the fact that he had randomly caused her extreme inconvenience. He left the window, going back to the bed. She had been nothing but inquiries. carefully, he slipped back into the hair and under the blanket. She didn't deserve to be kept here.

That night, Chat Noir took the backseat and Adrien was too busy planning to sleep.

A/N: Here is another chapter, as promised. I believe this will make 4 in a row so I am on a roll. I thought this would be an interesting turn of events. I won't spoil anything, but here come the different parts of the story. This won't be the last Chat point of view chapter, but the chapters will start dwindling in numbers. Just as a general warning for everyone getting used to this.

I WENT BACK AND UPDATED PREVIOUS CHAPTERS!

Okay, I have a ton of reasoning behind going back, but the main one was because... holy cow they sucked. Having learned somethings since I left off this story for a bit and came back, I was cringing and wondering how in the world you all were able to read and love my slop. I have since fixed errors, added bits, made things a bit more clear, and also changed a few minor things involving character views and timelines. You can go back if you want to, but nothing major has really been changed.

Next, thanks to every viewer and shout-outs to GuardianAngel1234567: Just because he is nice to Marinette, doesn't mean I am leaving it that way. There is a reason to everything Papillion/Gabriel Agreste does.

Thank You for Reading and Stay Tuned!

~Pheonix