A/N: No warnings this chapter. It is pure fluff. Outfit inspired by something I saw on Pinterest, but did not pin and therefore I cannot identify the artist. So sorry! Anyhow, pointless disclaimer: I don't own ML or its characters. I wouldn't even want to own Chloe. The ML creators can keep her. *hisses in fictional character's direction to emphasize that shade is being thrown* Okay, enough salt about Mademoiselle Bourgeois. Onwards and upwards!

Chapter 2: Hey, Feline, You Look So Fine

Marinette sashayed into school on Monday with all the self-confidence she possessed as Ladybug. She got quite a few looks and instead of flinching away, she grinned and waved. She knew she looked good, and more importantly, that Chat was going to be thrilled when he saw this outfit.

Everyone had been admiring of her new clothes, but when she strode into the classroom, Adrien's jaw hit the floor. It was comical, really. The first time she'd been sure he noticed her and it was too late. She already had a beau. Nino was also goggling, but Alya smacked him on the back of the head for staring. She was grinning at Marinette, though. She mouthed, "Tell me everything." Marinette had covered the bruise with makeup to avoid unwanted questions or the outfit would not have been the first thing her BFF noticed. When her boyfriend recovered with a sheepish grin and a "Cool threads, Mari," he reached over to shut his best friend's gaping mouth with a click. Adrien shook his head and swallowed nervously a few times, the tips of his ears going pink. Ha! It was nice for him to be the flustered one for once. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, searching for words. She waited patiently.

"That's a nice-" he croaked, then cut himself off to clear his throat. He tried again with more success, "That's a nice outfit, Marinette. Did you design it?"

"Yes, I did. Just this weekend, actually. There's a special someone I'm hoping will like it," she answered without stammering or mixing her words even once.

Feeling bold, she gave a little twirl and beamed at her friends.

The outfit was a long-sleeved, green cold shoulder crop top with a black cat silhouette and the words "Cats are better than boys." embroidered in black typewriter font, paired with a tulle skirt that came down to her knees in several fluffy layers of pleated black fabric. Her accessories included black leather ankle boots with Chat Noir's green pawprint pinned to the straps in place of buckles, a velvet choker that had a little bell on it like Chat's, and- the kicker- a knit black beanie with little cat ears. Her nails were painted green and her makeup was fierce, with sharp winged eyeliner and dark lipstick.

Adrien felt his heart stop. He wasn't sure if he was still breathing. Could a person die of cuteness overload? Signs were pointing to yes.

"Would this special someone be a Chat Noir fan?" Alya laughed.

"Possibly his biggest one," Marinette replied cheekily. "Second biggest, now, I guess."

Adrien felt a little insulted at the dig at his ego, but admitted she was probably right. He had quite a bit of bravado and cockiness as Chat. But the second part of that sentence made him want to kiss her there and now. Alas, he would have to wait until Chat Noir could make an appearance. His knuckles were white with how hard he was clenching the table. He forced himself to relax, gave an encouraging smile. The teacher walked in and Marinette took her seat. He strained his ears to hear what she and Alya were saying, wishing he had Chat's hearing as Adrien.

"So, girl. Spill! Why the love for Chat Noir all of a sudden? Usually you don't really care about him or Ladybug that much. What changed?"

"He saved my life," she sighed dreamily.

"Honey, I hate to break it to you, but that's basically his job. And he's saved you from an akuma before, twice actually. And anyway, how come I didn't see it on the news? I hate to miss out on material for the Ladyblog."

"Not an akuma," Marinette muttered darkly.

Adrien felt his fists clench at the memory of the putrid piece of garbage that had dared to lay hands on his Princess. At least the news had reported that the cops had picked him up. Him babbling about Chat Noir assaulting him for laying hands on his girl counted as a confession of attempted sexual assault of a minor, so the cockroach got five to ten years. He deserved longer, like a few life sentences, in Adrien's opinion.

"I don't really want to talk about it right now. The point is that he saved my life. And we got to talking and he's actually super cool. He's a great guy."

"Did you meet him without the mask?" Alya inquired eagerly.

"No, and I don't need to. He's perfect the way he is. If he ever feels like telling me, he can trust me, but he can do it in his own time. I won't push," she insisted.

Adrien felt a surge of pride. His Princess was loyal and patient. Two more things to add to the list of what he loved about her.

"Alright, Mari. I wasn't gonna make you tell me. I get it, not your secret to share. But wait, what does this have to do with the guy you're impressing?"

Marinette's uncomfortable silence spoke volumes.

"Wait, is Chat Noir the guy? You're crushing on a superhero?" she nearly squealed.

"Shh! Alya, not so loud," Marinette hushed. "And it's a bit more mutual than crushing, thank you very much. But you seriously can't tell anyone yet. Hawk Moth could be anyone, after all. And he could try to get to Chat through me. I can't turn into a weakness."

Adrien went cold. He hadn't even thought of that. Was he putting her in danger by following his heart?

"Your secret is safe with me, girl. And I'm psyched that you're moving on from pining over the boy-"

"Alya!"

"Chill, Mari. It's not like I'm gonna say his name when he's right there. But he has to be the only one who doesn't know, seriously. But good for you, dating Paris' hottest superhero. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Alya. I can't wait to see what he thinks of this..."

Adrien had a pretty good idea of Chat Noir's reaction, but it wasn't information he could share.

Marinette strolled towards her favorite garden on the way back from school. Her parents didn't need her at the bakery today, and she was hoping to run into a certain alley cat so she could show him the outfit. She hovered outside the gates to the park, glancing around for her favorite feline. The voice that sounded from behind her was not the one she wanted to hear.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I'm glad I ran into you. See, I meant to compliment your shirt in class but I didn't get the chance," Chloe Bourgeois announced in a lofty, mocking voice.

"Complimenting anything about me doesn't really sound like you, Chloe," Marinette pointed out, impatient to see her kitty and having no time for Chloe's antics.

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad you feel that way, about cats being better than boys, because you're going to wind up alone and single with about fifty of the mangy little furballs," she cackled.

"Fifty seems like a bit much," Marinette responded cooly, surprised at her unaffected demeanor around Chloe's taunts. Just then, she spotted a flash of black in the corner of her eye. She smothered a grin. "I think one would be plenty," she said slyly.

"Aww. I'm glad you feel that way, Princess. Does this mean that we're going steady?" a happy voice purred from over their heads.

Chloe's eyes boggled out of her head as Chat Noir dropped out of a tree next to the gates and extended an arm to Marinette. She made incoherent gasping noises as the other girl smiled and placed her hand in the crook of the superhero's elbow. Marinette smiled up at him and completely ignored the snobby blonde.

"Yes, I suppose it does, Chat. Shall we stroll through the gardens?"

"I would be delighted. Oh, I love your outfit, by the way."

"Thanks," Marinette replied with a blush in her cheeks. "I made it for you, so I certainly hoped you would like it."

"I do, Princess. Very much," he rumbled, eyeing her with fire in his gaze.

They left Chloe there standing dumbfounded as she watched the class nobody walk away arm in arm with one of the saviors of Paris like she did it every day, laughing and talking. Oh, there would not be a soul in the city of light who wouldn't hear about this.

Marinette and Chat walked through the flowers until they reached a willow tree where they had often sat and talked. Chat tugged her to a stop beneath the bows, and Marinette tingled in anticipation of what would surely be a heart-melting kiss, but Chat was looking at his feet, seeming nervous. The bottom dropped out of her stomach. What if he'd only been helping her take Chloe down a peg and he'd really changed his mind about picking her over Ladybug? He shuffled his feet and drew a shaky breath. Marinette held hers. What he was about to say had the potential to shatter her.

"Marinette-"

That wasn't a good start. He only used her name when things were serious.

"I don't know if this is too sudden..."

No. No. Here came the fall of the hammer to break her heart.

"Or maybe a little corny, but I wanted to give you a gift."

Wait, what?

Marinette hadn't realized that she'd said that part out loud until he blinked quizzically at her.

"What were you expecting? That I was going to break up with you after one kiss or something?" he laughed. He stopped chuckling when he saw the timid expression on her face. "Oh, Princess," he sighed. He put his hands on the sides of her face, drawing her forehead to touch his. "When are you going to learn that I'm lucky to have you? Now that I've got you, I have no plans of ever letting you go," he assured her with a grin.

"Really?" she squeaked.

"Really. Now are you ready for your present?" he sing-songed.

"Yes. I'm ready."

"Well, see, I read this thing the other day that when couples back in the day decided they were an item, the guy would give the girl a piece of jewelry, like a class ring or something, to show that they were together, and it gave me an idea. We kind of crashed together over the weekend, so I wasn't a hundred percent sure if you would want to 'go steady' or whatever, but I had hope," he babbled. "Anyhow, I had this made for you in case you said yes."

He held out a little black velvet box and popped the lid open. Marinette gasped. It was a feminine replica of his miraculous, dark metal gleaming in a wide band, adorned with little green gemstones in the shape of his signature pawprint. She squinted at the inside of the band. There were words there: For my Princess. Love furever, your Chaton. It was a precisely perfect blend of sweetly romantic and ridiculous, just like Chat himself. She would have expected nothing less. The nicknames combined with the cat pun made it special. She looked up at him with shining eyes to see him watching her anxiously. Was he actually afraid that she would say no?

"So, do you like it?" he asked hopefully.

"Silly kitty. I adore it. And I love you," she answered with a beaming smile.

He looked a little thunderstruck, but got over it quickly in true Chat fashion. He grinned back and kneeled gallantly. He removed the ring from the box and held it out to her in his claws.

"Then, may I have the honor?" he intoned dramatically.

"You may," she replied in kind, before releasing a few trapped giggles.

She held out her left hand and he slipped the jewelry onto her ring finger. She held her hand in front of her, admiring the sparkle. It fit perfectly.

"It's beautiful. Thank you, Chaton."

"You're welcome, Princess. It looks good on you."

Their eyes met and it was like a spark jumped in the space between them, space which quickly vanished as they came together in a passionate kiss. She twined her arms around his neck and his hands gripped her waist, ever so gentle with his claws. His lips were warm and soft and she made humming noises while he purred, causing them to vibrate against each other. Each mentally admitted that it felt kind of awesome. Tongues slid along each other and heavy breathing flowed in sync. They pressed as tightly together as they could, not feeling close enough, but unlike the fiery, frantic passion of their first kiss, this was slow, gentle, almost unbearably sweet. They broke with soft smiles, still standing close together. Marinette's hand descended from Chat's shoulder to slip into his. He walked her home and gave her a soft parting kiss, promising to come see her tomorrow.

Tomorrow came, though not how she would have expected. She walked in through the doors of school, with the Chat Noir fangirl vibe toned down. She wore the bell choker, the beanie with the ears, and the ring with her usual outfit. Still, whispers followed her down the hallway. What was with everyone? They seemed almost... reverent. She walked into class and it fell dead silent. Alya waved her over unnecessarily since she was right by the door. Marinette eyed her classmates warily and took her usual seat with dawning apprehension.

"Girl, I got bad news for you. You know how you said to keep you and Chat Noir a secret?" she hissed.

"Yes?"

"Well, apparently Chloe didn't get that memo. She found out and now pretty much the whole school knows. It's only a matter of time before all of Paris knows."

"Oh, no," she moaned, burying her head in her arms.

This raised quite a few issues. What if her parents found out before she told them? They'd be mad for sure. At least they didn't know about the make-out session in her bedroom, hopefully to be followed by similar encounters. What if Hawk Moth's civilian identity found out and he used it against Chat? What if a rogue fangirl went akuma and tried to kill her out of jealousy? Copycat had done that over Ladybug, after all. Would she be able to go anywhere without being recognized? She might never have enough privacy to turn into Ladybug in public ever again.

But despite all of the difficulties this news getting out would cause, she felt an irrational tickle of pride deep in her chest. She was Chat Noir's girlfriend. He had chosen her over Ladybug. She was kind of surprised that Chloe would spread around a rumor that was likely to make Marinette more popular or interesting. Maybe she hadn't thought it through beyond spilling a secret that didn't belong to her.

Just then, Adrien sauntered in, looking very Chat-like, honestly. He had on a grin like a cat that ate the canary. What was he so happy about? Maybe he'd found his own someone. That was perfect timing. What would have been devastating a month ago was now something she could be genuinely happy for him about.

"Hey, Marinette," he greeted her first, before turning to Alya and Nino, still smiling widely.

"Hi, Adrien. You're looking quite happy today."

There was a collective gasp and at least two thuds behind them. Marinette was talking to Adrien like a person instead of a lovesick puppy with a speech impediment. The fact that she wasn't spazzing out must mean that the rumors about her dating Chat Noir were true. How else had she gotten over someone like Adrien Agreste?

"Yeah. Got some good news yesterday afternoon and it put a bit of a spring in my step. Things are going pretty well for you, too, from what I hear," the model prodded.

"So, I guess it's the worst kept secret in Paris, huh? I never expected getting a boyfriend to be newsworthy," she replied with an easy smile.

"Well, I bet you never expected to be dating a superhero," he chuckled. "What's that like?"

"Hot," she quipped with a wink. Chat must be rubbing off on her, amplifying her mischievious streak.

Her classmates felt all their eyes pop out of their heads at the same time. Where had this flirty, confident, easygoing Marinette Dupain-Cheng come from?

"But seriously. Chat's good to me. Very sweet and considerate. The perfect gentleman, despite the suggestive looks and all the cat puns. I'm lucky."

"So's he," Adrien pointed out.

Before anyone else could faint or the two could continue their new easy banter, Chloe Bourgeois sauntered into the room, smirking expectantly. When her roaming eyes landed on her nemesis looking calm as can be and smiling at her Adri-kins, her eyes narrowed. This did not meet with her expectations. Maybe she didn't know yet that everyone knew about her and Chat Noir.

"So, Marinette, did you have a fun evening with your stray cat?" she mocked, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, yes. We took a walk through the flowers and he asked me to 'go steady' like an old-timey gentleman. I accepted. It was very nice. Thank you for asking, Chloe," she said pleasantly.

"Aren't you mad? Embarrassed that half the city knows about your little secret boyfriend?"

"Why would I be? It was only really a secret for Chat's sake and he seemed fine with it when he held hands with me in front of you yesterday. I don't care who knows. You could tell all of France and I wouldn't bat an eye, honestly. I'd probably be busy with my not-so-secret boyfriend anyway," Marinette replied with a careless shrug.

"How did a nobody like you snag Chat Noir, anyway?" Chloe snapped.

"It was more like Chat Noir snagged me. He was very persistent. In the end, I just couldn't say no to that cocky little smirk and those big green eyes," she sighed.

"So you just say yes to any guy who throws himself at you since you never got the guts to ask Adrien out?" Chloe laughed.

Marinette blushed an angry red. She wasn't embarrassed of Chat, but having her mostly over-with crush on Adrien broadcast like that was humiliating.

Adrien felt his blood freeze. It had been him all along? The blind idiot who hadn't seen Marinette when she was right in front of him? Well, now he felt stupid. He looked back at her to see her face splotchy and her eyes pricking with tears of humiliation. His Princess caught his eye and the sadness he saw there cut him to the quick. Her eyes flicked away in shame and she bit her lip. That did it.

"That was classless, even for you, Chloe. Lay off," Alya barked.

"What are you gonna do, reporter wannabe? Post something bad about me on your blog?" Chloe sneered.

"Shut up, Chloe," Adrien growled.

"Adri-kins?"

"No. No more 'Adri-kins.' No more putting up with your awful personality. That is it. This is the last straw. We may have been friends as kids but I do not like who you've grown into. Not one bit. I've been patient. I've been the absolute model of politeness, but you have hit my limit," he seethed. "Your deliberate cruelty has caused, what, a dozen akumas? That has to be some kind of record. Has it not once run through your empty head that maybe, just maybe, if you were a little nicer to people, your hair would get ruined less by supervillains who want to kill you for being so annoying? I have had enough of your crap. Do not speak to me again or so much as look at Marinette funny until you check your attitude at the door. We're done."

He said it with such finality that Chloe just closed her mouth with a snap and sat in her seat without a word. The class was silent. The people who had fainted woke up for Adrien's outburst and promptly lost consciousness again. No one had expected him to stand up to Chloe, especially not so vehemently or in defense of Marinette. Adrien calmed himself down and turned to Marinette with a cautious smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Me? I- I'm fine. Thanks for standing up for me," she mumbled.

"That's what friends are for," he stated. "I'm just sorry I haven't said anything to her sooner."

"It's alright. Um, about what Chloe said-"

"Don't worry about it. You're a great girl, but if you had asked me two months ago, I would have still been hung up on this crush I had for ages. I just wish I'd seen that you liked me sooner. But you're with Chat Noir, and I respect that. I've never really talked to him, but he seems like a cool guy. I'm really happy for you," he insisted.

"Thanks. I'm pretty happy, too."

Then the teacher walked in and class began with a much more reserved atmosphere than usual. Marinette wasn't sure how to feel about Adrien's sudden interest in her, but she was faithful to her Chaton. He appeared to walk her home after school, and she talked about how weird her day had been and he held her hand and kissed her lips. They garnered a few stares, but she didn't mind. What came next was the hard part.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Chat asked.

"Isn't it a little early to be meeting my parents? This isn't an engagement ring."

"Not like that! Just- for moral support, so they can see that I'm a decent guy for themselves. Okay, so I guess it's sort of like that," he conceded.

"Yeah, alright. They'd probably like to meet you," she agreed.

It went pretty well. They freaked out a little at first, but Marinette had given the news before anyone else could, so they weren't as mad as they could have been. Tom eyed Chat suspiciously with crossed arms and asked his intentions.

"All I want is to keep your daughter safe and happy because I think she deserves the world. I care about her very much," he answered, as serious as she'd ever heard him.

Tom seemed satisfied and Sabine had insisted on sending him away with a big sack of baked goods. He thanked them profusely and poured on the charm. By the time his miraculous was beeping at him to leave, they were gushing about 'that sweet boy' and scolding Marinette for not bringing him around sooner until he told them this had been a fairly recent development. The Dupain-Chengs adored Chat Noir. So, they'd already made it past that crucial step in a relationship, so they felt pretty good about overcoming it, but little did they know, there were harder things in their way on the path ahead.

A/N: Haha. I know, I'm so melodramatic. But you love me, right? Yeah, you love me. *winks and blows air kisses at the groaning crowd*