Observation

Reviews! There's many! X3 FEED ME MORE! :D

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favored, and/or followed this story so far. I've had a busy week both at work and at home, so it has taken me longer to get around to writing this one than I would have liked. Hopefully I'll have plenty of time the following week to pop out another chapter or two. I feel kinda blah about the writing in this chapter. I'm not sure if it's because I'm super tired while re-reading and editing it, or if the flow really is off. Let me know if I need to fix something or if it's fine the way it is.

I may also (possibly) get around to updating Bloody Love (Naruto). ...Maybe. Might be a few weeks before I do any actual writing instead of daydreaming what will happen.

Also, I've given up and decided to go with bluenette instead of raven haired, as Marinette's hair really is tinted blue. Plus most of the other fanfics I've been reading use bluenette (I know it's not an actual english word, but to hell with it).

By the way...

Cat puns... Be prepared for them.

...There are many.

BWAHAHAHAA! :D

But seriously, I have one pun (not a cat one) that I've been dying to use and I can't until next chapter.

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Chapter 6: Interview with a Cat

Marinette rolled over in her bed both frustrated and exhausted. Tonight was the dreaded interview of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Having the constant worry of what her partner had planned had left her without much sleep the past few days. She knew Alya wouldn't snitch on her. ...Not unless there was some juicy information about Ladybug. That was just the tip of the iceberg her life was steering towards. The whole night had been spent tossing and turning or staring out the window above her bed.

It probably would have been better to spend the night sitting outside on her balcony. At least the cool breeze and Paris lights would have helped relax her.

And then there was Adrien Agreste. The past few days the boy had been more talkative with her than normal. Don't get her wrong, she loved that he was noticing her more and spending time with her, but having her long-time crush so close at spontaneous moments put her heart under some serious stress. His gorgeous, heart-warming smiles were deadly. Half-way through their conversations she'd return to a stuttering mess of goo. It was a surprise she could even function with all that blood rushing to her head. She was glad their lunches involved other people joining, though she still felt weary of Lila.

Oh, and of course there was Alya to deal with. Boy that girl could scream.

When Marinette told her Ladybug and Chat Noir had agreed to an interview that weekend, she almost squeezed her friend to death in excitement. There was a lot of ringing in the ears which was closely followed by endless "thank you's," and offers of free food. Alya invited her to attend the interview, but Mari politely declined, offering instead to help come up with questions to ask—ones that wouldn't reveal too much information or catch the heroes off guard. Marinette was just happy to make Alya happy.

Golden orange light filtered in to her room with the rising sun. Morning. She groaned and sat up, rubbing the stiffness from her face. Tikki yawned beside her pillow and stretched. At least one of them had a restful sleep.

"Good morning, Marinette."

Her own greeting was weak and moody, "Hnnn...mornin'."

Luckily Tikki took no offense to it. "It's odd to see you up so early, especially on a weekend."

"I'm not up early, I'm up late. I can't stop worrying what that silly cat is going to do! I don't get why he's so insistent on finding out who I like. It's got nothing to do with him."

Tikki pondered this with a loud hum. "Maybe he likes you and was jealous?"

The girl snorted at this. What a dumb idea. "Yeah right. He's in love with Ladybug, not me."

"But you are Ladybug."

"And he has no idea."

This earned a sigh.

"Perhaps not, but you can like more than one person Marinette. A person's feelings aren't set in stone. They're more like...a fruit tree!" Marinette arched a brow. At this, the kwami tried to explain further. "New branches grow from connections with others. The leaves are memories they share with that person, and the love they have towards them, platonic or romantic, are the fruit it bears. Sometimes the fruit grows big and stopps, while another fruit that was smaller continues to grow until it surpasses all the others."

Well, that kind of made sense...in a weird, far-to-descriptive way. "Oh? So what would the roots be?"

"An individual's personality, morals, and beliefs. It's their own guidance that nurtures growth in themselves and with others.."

"That's pretty deep. Buuuuut I'm still not letting Chat know who I like, whatever his reasons for wanting to know."

Tikki sighed again, "Would it really be that bad to let him know?"

"Of course it would be! He'd probably tease me non-stop or point out how unlikely it is for Adrien to ever like me, or worse, he might go bother Adrien!"

"If you say so." Tikki rolled her eyes then smiled quietly. 'Well, he might tease her a wee bit if he knew.'

Marinette stretched once more and climbed down to the main floor of her room to go change. "Mind if I open the window. It's a bit stuffy in here."

Several nights ago when Alya and Lila had come over, a black crow of all things, had flown into her room and attacked Tikki while the girls were downstairs. Apparently the feathery critter spotted her while she was grabbing a cookie and tried to eat her. At least, that was the kwami's tale, and Marinette wasn't one to doubt her little friend.

"Of course! You don't have to keep the windows closed anymore, Marinette. I'll be more careful from now on. I just didn't think I'd be noticed then."

The teen opened one of her windows, breathing in the fresh morning air. It would be a lovely day. "Well, birds have good eyes." Minus the magical powers of glass.

"Hmm. I wonder about that..."

OwO

Adrien paced about his room later that morning. He still had time before he was supposed hang out with Nino. This extra time was used to plan out how he was going to get Alya to spill the beans on Marinettte's crush. He had approached the auburn girl several times that week trying to get her to slip up without revealing he was only interested in Marinette's "man of interest." This had proved impossible as Alya was both socially sharp and quite protective of Marinette's feelings. She didn't fall for any of his anime-inspired tactics and had shown some suspicion towards his motives. That had been a tangle to get out of.

Even Nino hadn't been much help, stating that he was going to stay out of it and that the answer was probably staring at him in the face. No help whatsoever.

The boy couldn't just go up to Marinette and ask her directly, either. Adrien Agreste didn't know she liked someone; Chat did. It felt wrong to even consider asking; like he were betraying her trust in him or something. He was her friend. Someone who cared for her in a platonic way. It was Chat Noir who wanted to know, not him... Because Chat was curious... Not jealous. Because he only loved Ladybug.

That's why he began watching her whenever she interacted with any boys at school. It put him in somewhat of a testy mood whenever Nathaniel or guys outside of their class talked to her. She was friendly to each and never acted differently towards those boys which was a relief. Some part of him worried the guy she liked might be from another school. Adrien couldn't just follow her around after school with his photo shoots and private lessons to go to. Stalki—"protectively following" her as Chat could only be done at night when she was already home, so that wasn't much help, either. He tried to be more social with her which didn't always end well. Almost every time they got to talk, someone would either interrupt them (usually Lila or Chloe), or she'd suddenly start stammering and rush out of the room in a blaze.

Adrien growled out as he threw his hands up in the air, "Seriously, who the hell does she like!?"

Plagg bit back a cackle from his resting place on the boy's pillow where he pretended to be asleep. The cat raised one lazy eye to watch the blond. "I think it's pretty obvious."

The boy jerked his head to the side, staring intently at the black cat. "You know who it is?" It was obvious?

"I might...or I might not." Plagg stretched and twisted his body into a weird position that only a cat would find comfortable. "Look, Kid. Why are ya worrying about who that girl likes? I thought you liked Ladybug?"

"I do! I'm just...looking out for Marinette. She's my friend, okay? I don't want her getting hurt because of some nobody. She's very kind, gentle, cute, shy. She's...innocent."

Plagg yawned, taking his time to question this. "And how exactly would he hurt her?"

"H-he might take advantage of her kindness or trick her into doing something she wasn't ready for. Or maybe he's really mean and would treat her like crap. He could be a player! It would break her heart. Cause her to become an akuma victim! Fighting Chloe was difficult. Fighting Marinette would be impossible!" Couldn't Plagg see the seriousness of the situation at hand!? "I want to make sure the guy she likes is right for her. That he'll treat her well and with respect. He should love only her, be a friend when she needs one, catch her when she falls, protect her when there's danger, and do whatever he can to see her smile."

The kwami groaned and rolled over, leaving his back to the smiling boy, "Your romantic feelings are giving me an upset stomach. Whatever you figure out, when the last horse crosses the finish line, let me know and I'll have plenty to tease you about." He closed his eyes, ready for more sleep.

Adrien scoffed and crossed his arms. "They're not romantic feelings. They're platonic ones, Plagg," he said flatly.

"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, Kid. I'll believe you never."

OwO

Alya was practically bouncing up and down as she waited outside the empty stadium. Marinette had told her where to meet the heroes and when they'd arrive. She was a tad early, but it was understandable. This time she was more prepared for the interview and had Nino's camera to use rather than just her phone. Chat's interview was scheduled first as Ladybug had some personal matters to attend to first, which was a lucky beak. That slick cat wasn't very alert compared to his partner, so getting some juicy information out of him would be a cinch. Marinette had given her several questions to ask the hero in particular, but Alya had a few of her own, plus a few from curious fans.

"Hey there, Ladyblogger." A voice greeted her from behind. Alya turned to see Chat Noir slide down his extended baton. The lamp posts gave her plenty of light in the dimming sky to see the leather-clad hero. He gave her a friendly wave and a cheerful smile. "Alya, right? Princess told me you were wanting some interviews with Ladybug and meow. Shall we go inside?"

"Of course!" She felt so giddy as they walked, picking a nicely lit area in the stands to set up. The heroes made sure to ask beforehand to use the stadium for the evening, so they wouldn't be trespassing. Not that getting in on their own was impossible. But using the facilities and lights without permission would be a bit rude. "By the way, who's Princess?"

"Hm?" he cocked his head to the side. While she was setting up the tripod, he had been patiently leaning on his staff. His answer was simple and without much thought. "Marinette."

'He said it so easily.' Alya paused, pushing up her glasses. "You call Mari "Princess," do you?" An all-knowing smirk slowly stretched across the journalist's lips. "How...cute."

Chat wasn't sure how he felt about Alya's reaction to this, but quickly forgot after began pinning a small microphone to his suit; one for each of them. They were wireless clip-ons. "So um...I'm just a curious cat...but does the Princess have someone she likes?" He wasn't going to beat around the bush this time. When Alya glanced up at him questionably, he stumbled over his next words. "Sh-she kept mentioning a guy she liked but didn't give a name. I was just curious about what he was like and if I could give her some...pointepurrs o-or something. S-sense I'm a guy and all."

Uh-huh. Sure. "I suppose I could drop a few hints after the interview if it goes well." A satisfying answer. "By the way, if you could name your own blog, what would it be?"

The male thought about it for a moment before snapping his fingers, "Chat's Chat."

Alya typed it out in her phone for later, "That would be purrfect for a guy like you."

"Not bad...fur an amature. Purrhapse you'll learn a fur things from this cat if you'll purrmit me." The hero sat down in a lazy and relaxed position in one of the chairs with his legs propped up atop the row of seats in front, his fingers laced together. There was a playful smirk plastered to his face.

"Hey, Everyone, this is your favorite Ladyblogger, Alya. I'm here with Chat Noir to answer all those curious questions you've been sending me about this little kitty. And as some of you have been wondering, I'm planning on making a blog dedicated to him as well as his fan-base has been steadily growing. Now Chat," she began, catching the boy's attention. "People truthfully know very little about you compared to Ladybug. Some people consider you a lady's man or a flirt-" "I'm not!" "-or a lovable goofball." Well, he was okay being a lovable goofball, at least. "But that's what today's interview is about. Getting to know the real Chat Noir."

"Okay, first question: Why cat puns and all the other jokes?"

Chat grinned. This was an easy one. "It's to lighten the mood, mostly. My life is pretty restricted without the mask, but with it, I can be whoefur I want and do whatefur I want. It's a freedom that leaves me feline so happy I just blurt out the first thing that pops into my head. Aaand it's to lighten the load on Ladybug and I."

Alya leaned in a bit. "Can you elaborate?"

"Certain fights against akuma can be...darkepurr or more tiring than I'd like, especially some of the more recent ones. Akuma victims get hurt emotionally and physically. Their situations may diffur but their emotions all manipulated by Hawkmoth. Ladybug is more sensitive than she lets on which is why I try to make her smile with bad jokes. And I meow fur a FACT that she finds some of them to be funny, because she'll sometimes turn her head paway quickly. I've caught her reflection a few times where she was trying to hide a smile. Besides, I'm a supurrhero who dresses as a cat. How can I NOT make cat jokes? I'm pawsome at it! Oh, and you can expect this interview to be Chat full of cat puns!" He gave her a playful wink.

Alya suppressed a groan at the pun and warning. "Oh joy. And the sightings of you dancing on the streets of Paris?"

A smug, cheshire grin appeared on his face and his eyes sparkled in delight. "I'm an irresistible distraction in and of itself. Not to mention a fantastic dancer. I can't help it if all those akuma focus on me."

"Well, you're certainly an eye-catcher," she commented dryly causing him to take a "dashing" pose in his seat.

"Speaking of dressing as a cat...a few eyewitnesses have noticed that you often act like one. Any explanation?"

"Well...my power does give me many cat-like abilities such as balance, flexibility, heightened reflexes, a slightly better sense of smell, night vision, and supurr-hearing," he cupped one of the ears atop his head as if listening to something. "It wouldn't be surpurrising if I took on certain habits as well."

The auburn arched a brow, "Wait...those aren't just for decoration? I thought they were fake."

"Nope!" he made a popping noise at the end of the word. "They're fully functional...and fake." He raked his clawed fingers through his mop of hair to reveal human ears underneath.

"How does that work exactly?" Alya probed.

The cat shrugged. "Magic." The answer for everything!

Alya was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Speaking of magic, when I was akumatized, I supposidly tried to remove Ladybug's mask but couldn't. She said something about magic. Is that how you guys get your suits on?"

"Something like that," he answered vaguely. "Next question?"

She clicked her tongue. He really was being cautious about what he revealed. The reporter had hoped Chat wouldn't be as alert as Ladybug but he might actually be a tough egg to crack. But she had other means of getting what she wanted.

"Can you tell us how old you are or at the very least, your birthday?

He hummed in thought. "I can't tell you my purrthday, but I can say that I'm a Leo and that I'm under 16."

"A Leo? That explains a lot. So, were you able to celebrate your birthday with Ladybug?"

"Sort of. We had an akuma fight that day and she's not one fur sharing purrsonal infurmation, so she didn't know," he gave a halfhearted shrug, missing the chance at punning the last word. It really would have been nice to hear his lady say, "Happy Birthday, Chat," but just seeing her that day brightened his mood. Plus having Nino go so far to make him happy was enough-if not a little overboard by becoming an akuma, kidnapping all the adults, sending them up into space, and forcing everyone to party-hardy against their will.

"That kinda sucks. Maybe you two could pick a day to celebrate both of your birthdays. Like a one-day celebration or anniversary for being heros."

Chat smiled warmly at the idea. "I'll have to ask her. Thank you."

"Other than saving Paris, what are your hobbies, skills, interests, and favorite foods? ...Or least favorite? Also, PLEASE ease up on the puns before I bash your face in with the camera."

"Meowch," he chuckled. "Alright I'll ease up a litter."

"I love watching anime. I usually go fur story-line rather than any specific genera. I also love Jagged Stone's music, especially his newest album. I enjoy spending any time I can with LB, howefur short. I think cats are cute. I pawlay basketball. I'm pretty fluent in Chinese and I can pawlay the piano. I'm not too bad with a sword which comes in handy in a fight. I also love pastries; croissants being my favorite. The Dupain-Cheng bakery has the best croissants EVER! I'd love to learn how to bake sometime. Sadly I don't get much choice in what I'm aloud to eat most of the time." It was more of a list, really. And his least favorite food? Camembert! But he couldn't exactly say that when he had been known to ask around for it. Stupid Plagg and his stupid, stinky cheese!

"Why? Do you have food allergies or something?"

A hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. It wouldn't be too revealing to answer that one, right? "No...I just...have a strict diet. It doesn't exactly cover my extracurricular activities as a hero, though." Chat quickly lowered his hand when he realized he was falling into his civilian habit. "But I've got boundless energy and motivation that it's not a problem."

"Hmm. What's it like at home, outside of the mask?"

A prickle of pain rose in his chest but was not visible on his calm face or in his smooth voice. It was like commenting on the weather. Something he was used feeling and hiding as Adrien, though Chat was more outgoing and expressive of his thoughts and feelings. "You ever hear that Papa Roach song, "This house is not a home?" It's kinda the same concept. It hasn't been a home for a while now. There's a lot of space but nobody to fill it. Just cold, empty rooms and a long list of rules. But as for what I'm like..." Chat tapped his chin in a showy, cheerful way as though his other answer never happened. "I'd have to say I'm furry reserved. Not quite the charmer, but still charming. A little shy and polite, but furry sweet. I don't have a vast number of close friends, but the few I do have, I cherish."

Alya wasn't sure if she should push farther into his mention of his living quarters. His strict diet and possibly unhappy home might be a sensitive topic for him. Plus she didn't want this interview to go too dark or depressing. At least his description of himself sounded interesting. It was very different from the publicly known Chat Noir. "You make yourself sound like the princely type."

He chuckled, "I might be."

"Moving on; what are your personal thoughts about Ladybug? Do you have any cute pet names for her?"

The leather tail flickered and he sat up, clearly eager to answer this one. "She's meow-nificent! She's brave and kind and smart, not to mention strong. There are times it feels as though there's nothing she can't do. At times she can be a little demanding, but I love that about her as well. She might brush off my felines and flirting, but I meow she'll fall fur me...someday." He felt so giddy just thinking about her. "Even though she's the only one who can purify the akuma, she still thinks of me as her partner, not some sidekick like the media keeps saying." His giddy attitude turned into a warm smile. "She works hard to keep people safe, often times putting herself in danger. But that's why I'm here. To protect her; and I'll protect her with all my nine lives if I must."

"And the pet names?"

"Oh, right! I sometimes call her LB, My Lady, or my personal favorite, Bugabuu." The interviewer nodded a few times. "That last one helped identify me when Copycat tried to take my place."

"Off the record, do you often give nicknames to other people?" she asked out-of-the-blue.

"Hm? Only with the akumatized as far as I can recall. They're pretty fun to come up with and they really annoy some of them which is fun."

"I see... Off the record, if you're not a flirt-" "I said I'm not!" "-and you only give nicknames to Ladybug and the akumatized, then why do you call Marinette "Princess"?" Chat visibly stiffened. Alya was literally at the edge of her seat with her head rested casually atop her propped-up hands. A smug smile was in clear view. "You don't by chance know her outside the suit, do you?" Chat hadn't uttered a word. The muscles under his suit tensed even more and his tail was still. "Or maybe you like her?"

At the mere mention of the word "like," his face went through several vibrant shades of red and he seemed to snap out of his still posture and silent attitude. The pretty, cat-like eyes Marinette claimed he had were now large orbs full of panic. "I DON'T! Sh-she's just a friend! I don't like her! I-I mean I like her, but as a friend! I love Ladybug! I'd never betray her! You're trying to trick me, aren't you!?"

Alya could hardly talk over her own shaking form. She was doing so well not to laugh at him. Teasing this cat was beyond fun. Her BFF would be just as entertaining once they had some private girl-time later. Alya would drag her out of bed if she had to. "Th-then why do you call her "princess?" You admitted to being the princely type at home. Wouldn't that make her your princess?"

"NO!" He still looked so spooked crouched on top of the seat he had been sitting in. If only his tail were real. Alya was sure it would be very fluffy in the state he was in. "I-I call her that because she is sweet and kind a-and cute. If someone needs a friend to lean on, she's always there. Plus she lives at the top of a building that kinda looks like a tower from one angle. It doesn't help that she has a habit of showing up near several akuma fights. I've had to save her once or twice already; so I'm just...hyper aware of her existe-s-safety. I mean safety!" Oh how he wanted to crawl into a deep, dark-possibly bottomless-hole and rot. Ladybug can purify akuma and beat up Hawkmoth without him.

The female teen let out an agreeable hum. No effort was made to hide her wide smile at his discomfort and expressions towards Marinette. Yes...the two girls would have a very long girl-chat. "You know, you can like more than one person, Chat. There's no shame in that. And love can switch from one person to another without you realizing it." He just burred his head in his hands so she continued. "It's how you find out which feelings feel more right. More real."

When he still gave no response from his clear embarrassment, she decided to finally throw him a bone. Or fish bone, in his case. "You asked who Mari liked, right?" she asked with a sigh.

Two of his fingers parted to reveal an eye. "You'll...tell me?"

"For a price."

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Ho ho! Will the kitty find out who Marinette's crush is in the next chapter, or will he be just as oblivious as before?