It had been a several weeks since the Cheshire Chat started joining the other three. Strangely enough, it became much easier. Kat was easily in sync with most of them.

She was most in sync with Chat Noir. She didn't even get it, it was as if she could anticipate exactly what he was gonna do. It wasn't something the two even realized until they watched it later on the Ladyblog.

Somehow it was more difficult to find a balance than it was to fight Akuma. How hard it is to bite her tongue when she gets lectured for not studying or not helping out AS MUCH on the group project (Even though she already did like 80% of it and they could really try and get their own grades) because she was busy fighting evil.

It wasn't hard to lie to her parents about where she was going. Because she never lied. "I'm hanging out with Marinette" or "oh, Daddy. Me and Felix discovered the joys of free-running." Or "the Akuma attack distracted me".

She was annoyed by the latest Akuma. Tomarrow was Nathanaël's birthday. Kat had a tradition where she made everyone she liked presents. ESPECIALLY her friends.

She didn't know Nathanaël all that well. He was shy and quiet and she didn't get to talk to him often. When she did talk to him he didn't seem to really want to talk much. (She saw his sketchbook once and commented that he was an amazing artist and his face turned the color of his hair.)

Marinette was helping her and she was making him some birthday cupcakes. Until the Akuma showed up, that is.

Kat took a deep breath and refocused. She couldn't really afford to lose focus in the middle of a battle like this. Her powers depended on her keeping her head in the game.

"Oooh." Kat was watching Chat Blanc and Marinette go through their plan. She was able to see the flaw that they were unaware of and that Chat Noir was about to pounce into a trap. "Hold it, pretty kitty. Think before you leap." She told him as she grabbed his tail to stop him. "I've got a plan."

Chat Noir gave her a grin. "And what does my claw-ver kitten wish for me to do?" He replied immediately, knowing Cheshire Chat's plans rarely failed. The Cheshire Chat whispered her plan to him, before taking a deep breath. "That's all you have to do."

Chat Noir frowned at her. "Why is it that I'm the distraction no matter what plan it is and whose plan it is?"

The Cheshire Chat patted his shoulder. "Don't feel in-fur-ior. I'm only playing to your tail-ents."

Chat Noir grumbled as they began her plan. It wasn't until late that they actually succeeded in the fight. Everyone kept having to leave and buy the others time as their powers ran out.

Kat groaned to herself as she collapsed in her bed. Ugh, she was such a bad friend. She couldn't even give a guy she sorta likes his birthday present on the right day!

She curled in her bed. She was sure nothing BAD would come from missing out on actually giving him his birthday present on his birthday.

The next day Chloe was on her A-game. Kat was getting frustrated but she knew speaking up would just make the redhead even more upset and embarassed.

Her eyes widened when Chloe declared that he drew Kat and comics of him being her hero and the like. Oh my gosh, that is so adorable. And someone had a crush on her?

Her fingernails bit into the palms of her hands as she clenched her fists. She never wanted to hit Chloe that much when she saw Nathanaël's reaction to that. He was such a sweet, quiet boy. He didn't deserve this in any way.

When he left the room Kat turned to Chloe and began chewing her out. "Are you happy now? Glad to be a horrible, fake-blonde without a genuine or kind bone in your body." That was the most tame part of her rant.

It got to the point where FELIX blushed from Kat's mix of cursing and horrible insults. The last time Kat blew up like this, it was at Felix. He said something really harsh to Marinette and she began sobbing and feeling terrible for herself. She was hoping Nathanaël would feel better but she didn't see him all day. Kat knew exactly what was gonna happen, because she finally had the LAST piece of the puzzle. She KNEW him.

Kat sent Ladybug and Chat Blanc to watch Chloe. Neither of them were pleased, but Kat justified her choice by saying that she couldn't have arguments over plans and she would need to be the distraction for this plan.

They both had to agree, but neither of them liked it. It actually got Ladybug and Chat Blanc to bond over their mutual hatred of Chloe. Chat Blanc was so happy to have something in common with his Ladybug and Ladybug was glad to have SOMETHING to do while forced to pretend to be polite to Chloe.

Kat smiled at Nathanaël when she saw him. She was awed by one thing. He didn't even seem to really be controlled by the Akuma. He just wanted to spend his birthday with Kat.

Kat blushed a soft pink, she left her ring where it would be safe and went on her date with Nathanaël.

Chat Noir spent the d ate getting more and more annoyed and angsty. It wasn't fair, the first time HE isn't the distraction, he has to spend his whole day following his crush on a date with another guy.

They ate dinner together, walked around and Kat admired his work. Nathanaël also drew her some amazing things into existence.

Kat was so close to him, she could remove his Akuma easily. But she was too curious. She wondered if he could get the Akuma powers under control so when Ladybug came she could just TAKE it or something. A nonviolent end to this. It is his birthday and she loved spending time with this sweet boy.

Of course, that all came crashing down when Nathanaël and Kat were on a boat, on the Seine. He was drawing her music and Kat, who sometimes had a short attention span. And right now was the most romantic moment of her life.

Chat Noir extended his staff and "cut in". Nathanaël looked up at the feline and his eyes filled with anger as he figured out that she's been plotting against him.

"You're just like Chloe!"

Well, now Kat was offended, their moment was over, and he was angry. And…what was probably due to lack of foresight. Her powers were not on her! What was she supposed to do now?!

Chat used his staff to propel him and Kat back on onto the bridge and he got ready to fight. Kat was nearly shaking with anger at this whole situation.

Nathanaël was so angry and hurt at this perceived trick and betrayal that he had only one response. He made it so the bridge would sink and put them in a glass cube that it would be difficult (if not impossible) to escape from before leaving. He was off to the home of Chloe to get his revenge.

He put it off for the sake of Kat, but now the sake of Kat made so little dent in all the jumbled up emotions going through his mind.

Chat Noir turned to Kat. "So, little kitten, you got any ideas?"

"I didn't plan for this! I could use my ring because my nanobots are capable enough to do it but I left it at home." She was huffing and her fists were clenched and her eyes nearly filled with tears.

"What?!" Chat Noir replied, eyes narrowed. "You left your powers somewhere else?! How could mew even do something that idiotic."

She glared at him angrily. Now on top of all of this HE has the gall, the SHEER AUDACITY to suggest that SHE is the one being stupid? She couldn't help but tell him exactly what she thought about that. "Oh yeah? Well, I'm sorry. I trusted my partner to not be so incredibly stupid so as to get me put in a situation such as this. Because I trusted an idiot with the brain power of a dodo bird, to do what he should do!"

"Oh really? Am /I/ the one who forgot ALL about the plan, just because there was a date they could go on?" He heard the words he just said and bit his lip. That was harsh and he knew he shouldn't have said it, but he couldn't help it.

Kat raised her hand and Chat Noir actually braced himself to be slapped across the face. Kat roughly wiped the angry tears from her face, moving her hand away from him.

"Chat, use cataclysm and get us out of th is mess." She said it calmly and evenly, even though her voice was a bit wobbly.

Chat Noir did as she asked and took her close to her house. "Meet me at Chloe's mansion, Chat Blanc and Ladybug might need your help."

Chat Noir winced to himself. He didn't really get it, but he really believed he would have preferred it if she had just hit him and called him a useless idiot. Because that's how he felt right now, and her being so polite to him just felt so much worse.

Nathanaël went to Chloe's house and his methods to get even were juvenile at best. He seemed to just want her to feel embarassment and shame and anger but not seriously HURT her.

Ladybug and Chat Blanc tried so hard to keep up with him. They weren't able to do it well, he was just so good with his art and better at thinking on his feet than anyone expected.

Kat ended up scaling Chloe's balcony, she crawled up so Nathanaël wouldn't see her coming. She used her nanobots to wrap around him and hold his arms down.

That short distraction when he was unable to create art was just enough to break his tablet and purify the butterfly.

They all did their congratulatory fist bumps and cheered after Marinette made everything go back to normal. The Cheshire Chat slipped over to Nathanael and smiled at him, holding her hand out to help him out.

"Are you alright? I heard what happened to you today, and that's not cool." She sent him her dazzling smile and added. "I hope you're feeling better."

When she helped him up, she then smiled to him. "Would you, perhaps, like a lift to your home."

Nathanaël blushed to himself. He never noticed before, but the Cheshire Chat had the same passionate brown eyes as Kat. And the same sweetness covered by a macho persona as her as well. "U-um…if, if it's not too much trouble. I wouldn't want to bother you." He sort of wanted her to just keep holding his hand. It was so warm, and while her fingertips were calloused, her hand was soft.

When he got home the first thing he did was concept art and a comic book cover for the Cheshire Chat. Of course, he knew exactly who would fit that character quite perfectly. The lovely Kat Tudor. It didn't hit him yet as he drew the adorable face of his beloved and the outfit of the charming Cheshire Chat.

The next day Kat sat next to Nathanaël. She felt that she still wanted to make the redhead something, so she had baked him a plate of sugar cookies and frosted them herself. She wasn't an artist, so they weren't great, but she hoped he liked them anyway.

Nathanaël was very focused on drawing his art and wasn't paying much attention, inspired to make it just as he envisioned.

Kat couldn't help but smile softly at that. If anyone could understand having that much of an attachment to your own creativity, it was Kat. She looked at his art and her smile grew wider. He drew the Cheshire Chat, what looked like a comic cover of her, and it was so detailed and beautiful and she…she was in awe. Everyone made statues and the like of LADYBUG because Ladybug was the big hero with an almost exotic beauty.

"That's really great." She piped up after a few minutes. "I really admire your talent. So, the Cheshire Chat, huh?"

Nathanaël almost jumped, the way Marinette does whenever Felix unexpectedly appears near her. "Uh…yeah. Thanks." He blushed a soft pink. "Um, Kat?"

Kat smiled widely at him. "I'm sorry it's late, but I wasn't able to finish them a couple days ago. So here." She passed him the plate of decorated sugar cookies. "I hope you like them. And happy late birthday."

Nathanaël gave her a shy smile as he took the cookies and placed then to the side to eat later. "T-thanks, Kat."

"Can I see what you're working on?" She questioned, staring at his sketchbook once again.

Nathanaël showed her what he was doing and embarassedly explained he was drawing HER as the Cheshire Chat. Her cheeks flushed and there was a moment of horror on her face as it occurred to her that he could figure it out. She quickly hid that expression and just grinned at him. "I'm glad you think I'm just as awesome as the Cheshire Chat."

"If anything she should feel proud to be considered the same as you." Nathanaël said that without thinking and it clearly showed from the way he blushed and looked away.

"Thank you so much! You are so sweet." She gave him a light hug before groaning as the bell for class rang. "I gotta get back to my seat. I'll talk to you later."

All three of her regular group were watching the conversation. Adrien was clearly unamused, his lower lip sticking out in a childish pout and his arms crossed. Felix was actually having Nino videotape this. Kat now thinks she likes THREE guys, and two of them are his dorky brother. This is just rich. Marinette had a smile on her face. She didn't know how Kat planned to keep up with hanging out with three different guys, but she trusted Kat to know what she was doing this time.

The fact that that was was a bad idea would be apparent later.

—

The group all ate lunch together, and it was almost comical, the size of their table. Kat had Nathanaël join them, because everyone at the table already liked him (Adrien didn't really right now but he realized any objections he made would be juvenile).

At their circular table Adrien sat at Kat's left and Nathanaël was at Kat's right. Nino was sitting between Alya and his best friend Adrien. Felix sat at the opposite side of the circular table than Kat, stuck between Alya and Marinette.

Felix was, however, rather amused by the sight he saw. Nathanaël and Adrien spent all of lunch making sure Kat wasn't giving attention to the other one, by holding two completely different conversations with her and interrupting eachother. Kat didn't even notice it was on purpose but she was clearly getting flustered at the attention.

Felix idly wondered if they would keep this up for long, because for God's sake SOMEONE needs to eventually make a move on someone. (That date didn't count because Nathanaël couldn't remember it.)

Kat was blushing at the attention and eating her lunch while going back and forth with two cuties wanting her attention. In hindsight this may not have been the BEST idea, but she would definitely be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it.

She was so distracted by all the different things going on she was barely being blushing and awkward when talking to Adrien. As soon as she wasn't sandwiched between the two of them her blushing would continue though.