A/N: Not only do I need to get my shit together with my stories, but also with my schoolwork *sighs* But at least I'll be off for most of January (I work a seasonal job so I'll be working as soon as the semester is over) so I can work on my stories then :)
Chapter 2
"Good night, Maman and Papa!" Marinette called before disappearing upstairs to her room.
Her parents, choosing to wait awhile before going to sleep themselves, lovingly returned the sentiment from their seats in the sitting room. After exchanging smiles with them, the young woman walked up the stairs to her room, quietly shutting the door behind her.
Using the moonlight leaking through her balcony doors for guidance, she walked to her desk and lit the candle, helping further bathe the room in light.
At that moment she heard she heard a little rustling noise, followed by a few squeaks. With a small smile she turned in the direction it came from, and started walking to the medium-sized metal cage.
"I'm sorry Tikki, did I disturb your sleep?" Marinette crooned, opening the cage door to slip a finger inside to pet the fluffy, red hamster. It blinked tiredly at her, but nuzzled into her finger's strokes nonetheless.
"Such a good girl," she quietly praised as she brought the tiny animal out of its home. She held Tikki in the palms of her hands, raising them to give her a kiss on her small head.
Marinette grabbed a sweet almond from the little bowl she had placed by the cage on her dresser and gave it to Tikki. She instantly grabbed it from her fingers and practically shoved the whole thing in her mouth.
"I guess you were in the mood for almonds today," Marinette giggled. She padded to her bed, sighing as she finally was able to lie down and relax. She propped herself up on one elbow on her pillow, putting Tikki down on the mattress just below her chin.
"You wouldn't believe the strange day I had," she mused in thought, watching her hamster's cheeks move rapidly as she chewed on the almond. "Two young men came into the bakery, Baron Barbot and Vicomte Agreste. They wanted to speak to my parents for some reason. I don't know what to think of it, it's not often we get nobility in our bakery."
As Tikki swallowed the last bits of her snack, her owner used a finger to gently scratch her head.
"And after that, the Baron asked me to walk with him in the park tomorrow." She frowned in contemplation. "I said yes, since he's a Baron and all, but I'm not sure about him."
Tikki stared at the pondering girl, her head tilted cutely to one side.
"He seemed..." she struggled for the right word; she was never good with them. "Pushy. He had no qualms about getting close to me. And when he asked me to go with him, it honestly felt like he wasn't asking me at all. I feel...well, manipulated."
Marinette sighed, her lips still tugged down into a frown.
"I think he wants to court me, Tikki. It would be a great match for me; he's young, handsome, and well off. But I just have this vibe about him that I can't get past. What do you think?" she asked her pet, only to receive a blank stare in response.
"Then there was the Victomte. He seemed nervous and kind of jittery, but for some reason he looked depressed when he finished talking with Maman and Papa. I wonder what he wanted in the first place. If he was here for the same reason as Theo, he surely would've tried to invite me to spend some time with him. And it was like he could barely look at me."
A corner of her mouth turned up in a rueful half-grin.
"It's a shame, I think he might have been a nice man. He was handsome, too." She grinned as she remembered those bright green eyes and golden tresses. "Very handsome."
Tikki made an insulted squeak, her nose twitching in anger.
Marinette giggled and bent down to kiss her hamster on the head. "Don't worry, Tikki, I'm not becoming one of those airy girls who daydream about a man's looks all the time." She scoffed a laugh. "If I start fantasizing about a man, it's going to be for far much more than his looks."
Owner and pet lay there for a few more seconds, basking in the calming silence of the night, when the sounds of feet landing on her balcony floor alerted the ravenette.
Her eyebrows drew down in suspicion as her eyes stared out the glass doors leading to the balcony. She couldn't see a thing. Then again, her bed was at an angle, so the full balcony wasn't in her view.
"I'll be right back, Tikki," Marinette vowed, voice hard as she slowly stood and walked over to her desk. Pulling out a drawer, she picked up a single knitting needle and held it in her fist. She never used the knitting needles, instead preferring to use the smaller, regular kind for sewing dresses and such, but now she was glad to have them.
And at least she might finally have a use for them. Perhaps her parents' gift wouldn't have been given in vain, after all.
She crept to the balcony doors, knitting needle in hand, and peered outside into the darkness. Still not finding anything, she pulled open the door and took a few steps into the warm night.
She looked towards the left, but saw nothing except for her potted plants on the wooden table her father had built for her. She craned her head towards the right, to the corner bathed in shadow.
At that moment the sound of a boot stepping forward made her flinch. Heart jumping in sudden panic, she shrieked a battle cry worthy of Sparta's greatest warriors and flung her arm forward in an attempt to stab the intruder.
"Woah!" A masculine voice cried out. It's holder stepped out of the shadows and quickly caught his attacker's wrist, holding it high and out of reach of his heart.
Her breath left her as she gazed at her prowler, ocean eyes wide and unleaving of him. He wore a loose-fitting black silk shirt, with matching pants and shoes. He had a black sash tied around the waist, the end of it trailed to the ground, resembling a tail of some sort.
Her eyes flickered to his face, how green eyes shone out of a black mask and black, leather cat ears were pinned to the top of a pile of unruly blond hair.
The man looked to be around her age of 19, maybe a few years older. But maybe she should stop gawking at the trespasser and find a way to get her wrist free so she could properly stab him.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you," he tried to reassure her, though his words had no effect on the headstrong girl. "I just wanted to see you, that's all."
"You can see me when the bakery opens at seven," she hissed, eyes narrowed into a threatening glare. "Now release me!"
"Only when you promise not to stab me with your," he paused, green orbs tilting up to see her odd weapon of choice. The edges of his lips twitched in poorly-concealed amusement. "Knitting needle?"
"That's only because I didn't have a sword ready," she bit out through clenched teeth. "Now let me go!" She tried tugging her hand away, with his grip on her tightening in response.
"Promise not to attack me again?" he returned, almost lazily through a teasing grin.
An idea chose that moment to strike the maiden. She doubted it would work, but hey, most of Paris's criminals weren't all too bright. At least, that's what she assumed, since any smart man should be smart enough to make an honest living.
Marinette's wrist ceased it's pulling and she gave him one of her most innocent smiles. Her blue eyes looked up at him through her lashes as she nodded.
"Yes, Monsieur. I won't try to attack you again, I promise."
Good thing she used her other hand to cross her fingers behind her back.
The stranger leaned forward, eyes narrowed in question as he scrutinized her. For a second she was distracted by how bright they were, like the emerald gem. For all the green eyes she had seen throughout her life, she was postive that his were the most beautiful.
"You're lying," he accused, breaking her out of her thoughts. She growled in frustration at her foiled plan and once more tried breaking her wrist free, yet he still held on with that iron grip.
"I swear, I'm not a common thief of the night or anything," he spoke, having already backed away.
"Then why were you sneaking around on my balcony?" she demanded. "Like any common thief of the night?"
He groaned at hearing his words thrown right back at him. "Listen, I swear to you by...uh," he looked around, eyes stopping above him towards the sky, "the moon-"
"Swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb," Marinette recited on instinct. She raised an eyebrow. "Lest that thy honesty prove likewise variable."
The stranger blinked, looking dumbfounded by her words. She wondered if her verbal attack was understood. It probably wasn't, since criminals weren't too smart.
Instead, he surprised her by leaning forward with a sly curl of his lips.
"Romeo and Juliette," he purred lowly, the deep sound causing her breath to hitch and her cheeks to feel strangely warm. She shook off the foreign fluttery feeling in her stomach and set her eyes into a harsh glare.
"So you're an educated man," she concluded, tone hardened. "What does an educated man need with a little bakery money?"
"I already told you I'm not here to steal from you," he retorted, his tone and roll of the eyes revealing his annoyed state. She ground her teeth seeing it, angry that he had the nerve to become annoyed with her, when he was the one intruding on her balcony.
"My name is Chat Noir," he introduced, bending down and turning her hand over so he could plant a kiss on her knuckles. She blinked in astonishment at the sudden gallant change in him, her mind barely registering the odd name. "And I'm a man that only wished to see you. Nothing more."
Now Marinette didn't know what to think. Could he be telling the truth, or could he be tricking her and planning to steal her parents' money? She had to admit, if he was a thief, then he probably would've found a way to distract her already while he went and stole everything in sight.
If that wasn't the case, then why did he want to see her, enough to climb to her balcony in the middle of the night?
"You wanted to see me?" she repeated in question. Her inquiring blue gaze wasn't lost on the the blond.
"Yes. I had to, my Lady. I very recently caught a passing glance of you and your beauty had me under your spell. I couldn't hold myself back any longer and simply had to see you again," he declared, looking up at her with honest eyes.
Her hold slackened on the needle as she heard him, staring at him wide-eyed. He just said words that any girl would dream of hearing from a suitor. Their breaths would leave their lungs and they would swoon right into the awaiting man's arms.
Too bad for him she wasn't like those other girls, who easily fell for foolish charms and honeyed words.
"How sweet," she returned sarcastically, her grip tightening on her needle again. "Now tell me why you're really here."
"It's true!" he protested, standing. "I promise you it's true! Well...half-true, anyway," he murmured, scratching the back of his neck with a gloved hand in a sheepish manner.
"Ah, there we go," she encouraged, her voice practically dripping with mockery. "Now we're on to something. Go on, tell me the rest."
"Well," he stammered. "I-uh-was actually hoping to pursue you as well."
Her expression must've been comical with how her mouth dropped. To his credit, he didn't laugh, instead still looking at her with what looked like hope swimming in those emerald orbs.
Marinette blanched, this time her needle clattered to the ground. As soon as it left her fingers, Chat Noir released her wrist, allowing her to take it back and hold it to her chest, even though he hadn't injured it.
Oh, God. He wasn't lying. She hated liars, and was able to spot one a mile away, but his eyes practically screamed 'not guilty'. He was actually telling the truth.
But why go to the trouble of all this? Why dress in that black getup and prowl around her balcony close to ten at night in the hopes of seeing her? Why not just approach her during the day?
"You want to pursue me?" she asked, wanting the clarification. "Like a suitor?"
He bobbed his head up and down, a warm smile beginning to leak on his handsome features. "Yes, exactly that."
Well, she guessed that must mean his earlier comment about her beauty was true too. It felt weird, she had never heard of someone so passionately speak of her-average in her opinion-looks.
"In that case, then why not just talk to me during the day, in the bakery and not on my balcony?" she inquired curiously. She had no idea how she felt about his wanting to be her suitor. She had already guessed that Theo wanted to become one, but for some reason his intentions struck her as more genuine, and thus the probability of having a suitor seemed all the more real.
"There are some complications that I can't disclose," he answered uneasily. "I can't pursue you during the day as I would like to."
He could've added that he didn't want to have to fight for her attention with Theo, that it was just easier going about it this way. That this way, he could have her all for himself, but he didn't feel it was time to reveal that just yet.
The maiden pursed her lips as she thought about this new discovery. Why couldn't he pursue her during the day? She would've asked, but based on the 'complications he couldn't disclose', she had a feeling he wouldn't answer.
"I swear to you I have the most noble intentions," he vowed, dipping into a bow only the most noble of men could make. "All I want is a chance to win your love and affection, that's it."
"And?" she replied, raising an eyebrow.
And what would he do once he had her love, provided he eventually got it, of course. Would he break her heart like she'd seen happen to countless young women, or would he marry her like she's seen few men do?
Yet the meaning of her question was lost on him, as he tilted his head and let out a 'what?'
"And," she emphasized, drawing out the word. "What would you do once you had my love?"
"I could only hope that you would marry me," he replied seriously with utter truth lacing his voice.
She slightly frowned at the new revelation, mind tracing back to what had transpired thus far. A man snuck onto her balcony in the dead of night, she thought it was a common thief when in reality it was just a man virtually begging for a chance of winning her heart, and now he says that if he won her love, he would marry her.
Despite his suspicious way of seeing her, his intentions were honest. However, he was still shrouded with mystery. His real name, for example, was one of the many things still hidden. He had introduced himself as Chat Noir, and while the name fit with his current ensemble, no parents named their child that.
But she knew if she asked, he wouldn't give it to her, at least not this early. If he had given her a false name only minutes ago, he surely wouldn't divulge the real one now.
"Let me see if my assumptions are correct," she spoke carefully. "You aren't a thief wanting to steal from my family's bakery, you instead want to pursue me and become my suitor, and marry me if all goes well. Is that correct?"
"All of it, my Lady," he replied with a beaming smile, the moonlight glinting off his white teeth, therby giving her a perfect view.
"Well, I hate to break your spirits, Kitty, but I don't have an answer for you right now. What happened so far is a lot to take in, and I need time to think it over."
Yet he didn't seem discouraged at all. And why would he be, for she didn't outright refuse him. She just needed to think it over.
"Of course, my Lady, take all the time you need," Chat returned, smiling brightly. It took the girl by surprise, because normally men would get irritated when told by a woman to wait for her opinion on him.
Marinette allowed a small smile to grace her features. The way he met her may have been unorthodox, but she found herself liking this man. He had treated her with the utmost respect and kindness, never losing his temper even when she attacked him. It appeared he was intelligent, given his recognizing the words of the play she had recited.
But most of all, he wanted to pursue her like a true gentleman: win her heart and marry her, not demand for her hand in marriage and become enraged when faced with a rejection like so many other men.
Also, a tiny part of her, that often hidden shallow part, had to admit he was extremely handsome from what she could see not hidden by the mask.
An even tinier part had to admit that the roguish way he had snuck onto her balcony to meet with her made him even more attractive in her eyes.
Her smile turned into a coquettish smirk, she saw his eyes widen and his Adam's apple bob in response. She barely held back her giggles as she slowly approached him, eyes lidded and promising good rewards should his intentions be what they say they are.
"Come back tomorrow night, Chaton, and you shall have my answer then."
A/N: Thank you so much for the overwhelming support for this story, I hope this part was worth the wait!