Marinette was on a roll .
Seated on a chair on the balcony , hunched over her books which were on the table in front of her , her scribbling barely heard over the night traffic and the chirping birds as the chilly night air kept her mind as fresh as it could , Marinette worked furiously, determined to finish her duties on time.
"...AND DONE !"
She face-planted straight down on top of the open note on the table , the pen slipping out her loose hands , finally released from her vice-like grip and stretched , pushing back the balcony chair as she flopped down in exhaustion.
She had Finally completed all her homework .
All evening, she was doing homework continuously , rushing through dinner and changing into her pyjamas , before returning to her work . Then she moved to the balcony where the moon was graceful enough to give enough light to write and the cold night air kept her awake .
Sure , she's pretty sure she did terribly in maths and physics , but she Finished !...FINISHED!
She was Finally DONE !
"Congratulations Mari ! And there's still half-an-hour before you have to meet Chat ..."
Tikki said , flying in front of her face which was flattened against the notebook . Marinette slowly looked up at her kwami with a tired , but satisfied smile , before standing up . Her legs wobbled but she quickly gained her balance.
"...great !...just need some coffee and cookies and we'll go meet that silly kitty ."
Marinette carefully left her balcony and room and made her way to the kitchen where her mother had already set out snacks , knowing her daughter's Friday night routine ...well ! Most of it anyway .
"What're you going to say to Chat anyway ?"
Tikki asked , munching on a cookie as Marinette made some coffee . Seriously, homework was exhausting.
"Huh !...oh ...I just ..."
Marinette sighed . She didn't really know what she could say that she hasn't said already . But nothing ever seems to reach him .
"...I ...I don't know ..."
Sometimes Marinette truly worries that Chat might be suicidal .
But then he always shoots back up with a smirk , a horrible pun and stupid flirting that makes her feel stupid for thinking he's anything other that an impulsive idiot who doesn't think before he acts . A clown with no idea about the seriousness of life . Every time she tries to have a serious conversation with him about his recklessness , he just ...
'Think about your family , Chat . How would they react if you get seriously hurt ?'
'Hmmm... Your right . I would get so grounded .'
...makes her want to slap him...
'We're a team , Chat ! I can't lose you , no matter how annoying you are ...'
'Don't worry . I'm sure Plagg will find someone less annoying to help you then...'
...or grab him and shake him like a rag doll until his brain works properly.
But his words were always teasing , a perfect grin on his face as he shoots down every reason she gives ... And she lets him .
Tikki gave a sad , but understanding smile .
"He's not gonna make it easy . He hates it when you bring it up ."
Marinette groaned .
"I Know ! He always laughs it off like it's no big deal and I ...I can't ask him to tell me what's going through his thick skull because , ...because..."
Because how can she push him to talk about himself when she refuses to open up about herself .
'You really want me to answer that , m'lady...'
He would ask , fully aware she would back down . She Had to back down .
They were partners first . Protecting paris was their job and no matter how reckless he was , how surprised and happy he seems when she called him her friend , how he never seemed to want to stop being Chat noir or leave her side whether at day or night ,... how he said being Chat noir was the best thing in his life ...fighting crazy creatures , wearing a mask , getting hurt , not getting enough sleep and lying to the people who he knows was the Best thing and there was Nothing else he would rather be doing ...
As long as he did his job protecting paris , she had no right to pry into his personal life ...especially when she was like the one who was firm about the privacy thing .
"...because it's too personal...oh , Tikki , sometimes, I feel like he thinks he's ...replaceable. Like I wouldn't care as long I had a Chat noir with me ...at least ,...not much ..."
He wanted more , she didn't .
He understood that . He's made it very clear that he was still her partner , even after she rejected him .
Marinette hopped on the counter of her kitchen and sipped her coffee , Tikki silently watching her .
"...it's silly . I mean he always acts so ,...so..." confident , self-assured ,..."...but still ...I..."
She trusts him .
She loves him , maybe not in the way he wanted her to but he Was important to her . He couldn't just be replaced by another cat-boy . She needed him , puns and teasing and everything . That was just who he was and she needed him to know that was more than enough .
But how can she do that ?
How can she show him that she needs him ?
And then she heard the thunder .
Marinette's eyes widened as she jumped off the counter , the burn of the remaining coffee spelling on her clothes barely registering in her mind as she saw the heavy rain outside her windows .
"Mari ? ..."
Rain .
Her homework .
She dumped the coffee mug in the sink and shot off to her room , blindly hoping that somehow , Somehow ,...
She reached her room and opened the hatch to her balcony , ignoring the rain pelting down on her as she climbed up and ran to the table .
It was ruined .
Marinette stood in front of the table which held the remains of the last bit of her hard work , the rain soaking her completely from head to toe .
She spend around two hours on that homework . The rest of her homework was dry in her room , but...
"Mari ...it's almost time ."
Her eyes narrowed.
Screw it , she'll finish her homework later .
"Tikki , Spots on !"
She needed to see Chat .
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Adrien had finished the last bit of the day's homework that Nino had brought over and peeked at his clock that read 11:40 in intimidating neon lights when he heard the groan from his kwami .
"Ladybug's busy . She can't come ."
Adrien turned to the kwami with a relieved smile .
"Really !"
Plagg grinned .
"No ."
His smile fell . He got up and collapsed face down on his bed with a groan .
"I hate you ."
Plagg blinked and then flew over to him and nuzzled in Adrien's hair before swallowing the last bit of cheese he had .
"No, you don't ."
Adrien's reply was muffled by the bed . Plagg rolled his eyes .
"Come on , coward . You really wanna leave your lady waiting in the rain . Not very gentlemanly of you ."
Adrien's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he turned a bit so his voice could be heard .
"Why are you so...eager ? You hate it when I go out in the rain."
Plagg snickered.
"Oh . But I love it when you get lectured by 'the love of your life'"
Adrien rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the bed before grabbing his secret weapon and a hoodie . He hesitated before putting it on and grabbing another one .
Adrien had a plan .
For this plan to work , he had to be calm , controlled and , most importantly, ...annoying .
Not too annoying, but just enough to make ladybug want to kill him at least one time . Now , he has already prepared himself to remain oblivious and silly in case she screams at him or , worst case scenario, ...cries .
It's gonna be tough , but he knows how to act .
One good thing about years of training in perfection is his body physically revolts against showing severe negative emotions around other people. Ladybug tends to make him lose control of his ...control , but as long as she kept her usual respectable distance , her usual professional attitude , he'd be fine.
Just need to pretend for this one night that he's playing a role and then they'll go back to normal and everything will be just fine .
He'll flirt , she'll yell , he'll tease , she'll scream ( oh please , don't cry ) or try to remain calm , he'll say whatever he can to reassure her without lying .
And then , he'll run away like mad the first chance he gets .
Right ! Let's do this .
"Well, might as well get it over with...OH SHOOT ! I'M LATE ! PLAGG !CLAWS OUT !"
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"Chat ?..."
Ladybug landed on to their usual hang out spot on the Eiffel Tower . She looks around .
He's not there .
He's never late . So Why isn't he there ?
Is he okay ?
Did he get hurt again?
Was he hurt from the car ?...or the akuma ? Was he injured?
Did he forget ?...no , that one's just stupid .
...so why wasn't he here?
"Chat ? If this is a joke ..."
Never before has she wanted night vision so bad . It was dark and raining and he always snuck up on her during those times , but she was Not in the mood for his stupid jokes . If he thinks he's going to get out of this talk , then he is sorely ...
"Ladybug !..."
She turned just in time to see a black blur jump onto the platform , slip and slide on his butt right off the opposite edge .
She blinked and he shot right back up over the edge and used his staff to gain balance before straightening out and strutting towards her confidently like nothing happened with a bright grin on his face.
The next second he slipped again and fell back on his behind when she tackled him into a hug and had to use his claws to make sure not to slide off the edge ...again.
"You ! Stupid ! Cat ! "
She wrapped her arms around him , wide alert for a flinch , a gasp , anything , Anything that meant he was hurt and also desperate for the reassurance that he was here . He was clumsy and grinning and probably a bit confused, but he was Here ! and he was Okay !
He was okay ...wasn't he ?
Chat on the other hand was trying to regain focus because Ladybug , Ladybug ! was currently hugging him and was pressed against his chest and his heightened senses were not helping !
Too close ! too soft ! too strong ! Too Much! ...he needed to control himself . He needed space . This was Not good . Rather it was too good and he couldn't concentrate when Ladybug Was On Top Of Him !
"My ...my lady. Quite forward of..."
"Are you okay ?"
"...I...of course I am ! Why wouldn't I be ?."
She felt him hesitate . Strange . In all their previous conversations , he would spin out a response without a seconds delay .
Her eyes widened.
Unless...he was hiding something.
Chat watched as Ladybug suddenly separated her arms from around him( ability to think slowly returning...) and braced them on either side his head so she could pull herself up look straight into his eyes with her own piecing blue gaze .(...aaaaaand it's gone ).
"Are . You . OKay ?"
He blinked . 'Come on , brain ! Work ! ' then he took a small breath and tried (and failed ) to calm his rapidly beating heart .
"Purrrrrfect"
He replied , rolling the words . Her eyes narrowed and he started to fidget , restraining himself from putting his hands on her waist or flipping them over or pulling her down to lie across him or raising his lips just a little bit higher to brush against hers and ...No! Nah ah ! Not an option ! He needs to be annoying but that was a whole other level of No! ...just . No!
"Ahem ...um...ah...Not that I'm ...uh...complaining but ...ah..."
Ladybug blinked in confusion . Since when did Chat stutter ...and blush ...and why was he acting so shy and ...oh , Oh ! ...her eyes shot down to see their position and when she looked back into his own eyes , her face burned despite the cool of the rain and she quickly scrambled off him blabbering out excuses .
"I...I just ...its just ...I...I was worried okay ? I thought ...I thought ..."
Chat let out a breathe of relief , his mind returning to full functionality as the space between them widened .
Dang ! He really couldn't think around her and he Definitely couldn't think under...nope ! Clear mind . Okay ? okay ...okay ...and go !
He let out a chuckle .
"Well ! I can't say I minded the paw-sition, my lady ..."
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A.N:-
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