Chapter 16
That night, when Marinette got done with dying another black spot on the suit, she absently rubbed the back of her head, finding the small bump with a slight wince.
She supposed her fall on the bakery floor could've gone worse, what with her luck.
Marinette pressed a hand to her head and let out a breath. All afternoon and tonight she'd been working furiously on this suit. But her hard work paid off, because she got the arm sleeves and legs done, now all she had to do was finish with the black spots and design a mask.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Marinette froze with a sharp intake of breath. She can't let him see the suit, not yet!
"Uh, j-just a minute!" She called out hurriedly, hiding the black dye and hastily throwing away scrap material.
"I'll be counting the seconds, Princess," came his light reply.
Marinette grabbed the sleek suit in both hands, eyes darting wildly about the room for a good hiding spot. She grinned when she spied her closet, Chat Noir would have no reason to go in there.
She opened the door and tossed the suit in the back. Not wasting another minute she pumped two squirts of hand sanitizer onto her hands to rid them of the black dye. It helps a bit in the situation, but she had no time to run to the bathroom to properly wash her hands.
Taking a breath, she smoothed her hair down, which was devoid of her pigtails. She climbed up the ladder and let the feline criminal inside, who didn't wait another moment to land on the bed on all fours.
Chat Noir lounged back against the wall, crossing his boots and bringing his hands behind his head. The action made his muscles visibly bulge slightly due to the suit. Marinette averted her eyes.
"So, I heard from a little birdie that you've been wearing my ring." He smirked. "I have to say, I'm honored, Princess."
How did he know about that? What 'little birdie'? "I don't know what you mean."
"Yes, you do," he insisted, smirk growing. "I gave it to you so you'd remember that...special person in your life."
Marinette held back a gasp when her eyes widen in surprise, the memory of Nathanael asking her that question earlier hitting her. Chat Noir's words had to be a coincidence, he wasn't in the bakery at the time.
"But, it seems my efforts were in vain." He shook his head and clicked his tongue in disappointment. "I guess I'm going to have to give you something that leaves a longer- lasting impression."
Marinette slowly meets her eyes with his, confusion swimming in her orbs.
She has her mental question answered when he suddenly pounces, bringing them down on the bed and capturing her startled gasp with his lips.
Whereas their last kiss was slow and loving, this one is insistent and demanding. Chat Noir kisses her furiously, Marinette could only close her eyes and grasp at his blond locks as she tried to return his affections just as fervently.
His tongue pokes at her mouth and soon they're at that heated dance again, the blackette melting at the desire radiating off him. Marinette releases a sound of pleasure from his actions, in response he tears his mouth away from hers and presses hungry kisses down her throat.
Marinette gasps when he bites at a certain spot on her neck and soon begins sucking on the delicate skin. She knows he'll leave a mark, one where she can't cover it up with a t-shirt, but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. Not with the way he lightly bites, sucks, pulls her skin into his teeth again, suckles, bites a bit harder...
When he's done he swipes his tongue over the mark and repeats his kiss trail up her throat to back to her lips. She feels his body hover away from hers slightly, and distantly hears the sound of something being pulled off...leather?
Then she feels his warm hands encompass her cheeks and his lips press themselves harder against her longing mouth. The gloves, she realizes absently, he took off his gloves.
Marinette couldn't back the moan when he takes her bottom lip between his teeth. She could barely think, barely remember how to breathe with the way he's kissing her.
He pulled his mouth away again, and Marinette lets out a small whine at the loss. She didn't give a shit if she sounded desperate, all she could think, could want, was more. She wanted more and she was going to get it.
She opened her eyes, dazed, to look at him. He still had that determined spark in his eyes, though the green was considerably darkened. She leaned up and tried to reconnect their lips, but he only leaned away with a satisfied smirk.
He bends his head to her ear and playfully nips at her lobe, making the blackette close her eyes again and bite her lip to hold back those noises she knew she already made too much of.
"I hope next time you won't be so forgetful, Purrincess," he purred lowly, the tone full of sinful intent.
Marinette's breath hitched.
"Or I may just have to come back here and give you another reminder. Although..." He chuckled, a husky, wicked sound. "I won't mind if you need one. Make sure you're ready Saturday night."
Saturday? What's a Saturday?
Marinette could only gaze at him in a hazed confusion when he leaned back to look at her in the eyes. He casually picked up his previously discarded gloves and slipped them on.
"Sa...Sat..?" She could barely form words after his kiss. Mon Dieu!
Chat Noir grinned devilishly, a hint of his white teeth becoming exposed.
"Farewell, Princess."
He tilted his head at her, seeming to be mentally debating something, when he just shook his head and dove in for another kiss.
Marinette brought a hand up and gripped his hair, trying to make him stay. But he easily managed to remove it in no time and pulled away.
He flashed her a wink before opening her balcony trapdoor and leaping outside.
It takes her a few minutes to calm down. To regain her breath, her regular heartbeat, and normally pale-colored cheeks. After she has relaxed, she wanted to kick herself. That was the perfect time to talk about the ring situation, and what it meant, but that damn tomcat just had to swoop in and kiss her senseless.
She glowered at her ceiling. She had to get him back, she will get him back. One day she's going to get him all tongue-tied and stupid, and she won't even have to kiss him.
Marinette's eyes trailed down to the closet down below.
That day was Saturday.
...
Friday passed by in a blur for Marinette. She made sure to cover the harsh love bite on her neck, pass her test, and avoid Adrien. She couldn't have the model plague her thoughts, she was too busy planning on finishing her outfit and mask.
Alya asked about the designer's strange sense of determination that day, but Marinette rebuffed her concern, telling her it was just an outfit she was excited about designing. Alya grinned and said if it was that good then she'd have to see it one day.
When she got home she ran to her room and got to work. Because of Chat's mark on her neck, she had to add a turtleneck to the costume, but honestly, it only made the suit look even better.
When Saturday came around, Marinette could hardly help out in the bakery with a clear head. She just couldn't wait to see what an underground criminal club was like, couldn't wait to slip on the spandex outfit and become a whole new person.
At six her parents closed the bakery and let her go to her room. She walked up the stairs, the picture of innocence for her innocent parents, before sprinting up the rest when out of their sight.
She took a shower, taking care to use her favorite strawberry shampoo and soap. If she going out on the town, she had to smell good for it.
Afterwards she gently blew her hair dry. When she got on her undergarments, she couldn't help but grin in the direction of the closet, where her suit lay hanging on a hanger.
Marinette glanced at the clock and saw it was 7:32. Good, that still gave her plenty of time.
She slipped on the spandex material, sliding up the hidden zipper in the back. Next, she took out two hairties and put her hair into her usual twin tails, but this time attached a red ribbon to each tail.
Marinette giggled and couldn't help but do a twirl in front of her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a human ladybug, a kickass human ladybug.
She sat down at her vanity and pulled out the tube of red lipstick she only saved for special occasions. After applying a coat of chapstick to keep her lips moist, she spread on the red coating of makeup over her lips.
Her eyelashes were dark enough, so she didn't bother with mascara. She gave a hesitant smile in the mirror, debating on her look. Was the lipstick too much? It did match her suit, and she didn't think she looked too bad with it.
The blackette shook her head resolutely. She couldn't have insecurities now, she wasn't Marinette anymore, she was the brave, confident Ladybug.
A corner of her mouth lifted up. The Miraculous Ladybug.
Well, she will be, when she puts the mask on.
She applied the sticky substance to the back of the mask before carefully pressing it over her eyes. She tapped a couple places to make sure it stuck properly, before blinking and looking to her reflection for approval.
A rare, confident grin overtook her features.
Oh boy, she approved.
...
Marinette learned that night that Chat Noir was a punctual person. For at 10 pm, right on the dot, came the unmistakable tapping on her balcony trapdoor.
Marinette took one last look in her mirror, the only light being the moon seeping in through her windows, and called for him to come in.
She stood in a pose against the wooden stature beneath her bed and waited.
It was the moment of truth.
She heard his boots come down the staircase. "Hey, Princess!" He greeted offhandedly, not looking at her yet. "Ready to g-go?"
His green eyes were wide as they stared at her, unblinking in the darkness. His mouth was partially open in shock. A rare blush bloomed over his cheeks.
Marinette smirked, taking this as a good sign. She sauntered up to him, taking note of how his breath hitched in his throat.
His pupils dilated when they became nose to nose.
"M-M-Mar-" He stammered, mouth still hanging open.
"What's wrong, Chaton?" She murmured smoothly, voice never wavering from it's seductive tone.
Chat Noir swallowed.
"Cat got your tongue?"
He licked his lips in silence, as if to correct her of her misunderstanding. Marinette, or rather, Ladybug, laughed at his current state.
"Don't we have a club to get going to, Chat Noir?"
He bobbed his head up and down, blinking hard and fast. "Y-Yeah. Club. We club get going..."
Marinette's smirk curled deeper. Damn, she should've dressed in spandex a long time ago if she knew she'd get this kind of reaction out of him.
He stared into her sapphire eyes, instinctively going in for a kiss, but she halted him with her fingertips on his lips.
"Ah, ah, ah. No kissing for tonight, Minou."
"N-No kissing." He nodded, seemingly in a daze. "G-Got it."
"Now, are you going to stand there and stare at me all night or are we going to this club?" Marinette teased, playfully placing her hands on her hips to illustrate her point.
He closed his eyes and shook his head, as though to clear it.
"Let's go," he finally says brusquely, meeting her in the eyes. But it's too soon that his grin is back on his face. "After you, my ladybug." Something akin to amusement flickered in his eyes. "My Lady."
Marinette rolled her eyes at the new pet name, but didn't reprimand him for it. She starting climbing up the ladder leading to her bed when she remembered something.
The spandex suit is skin tight, not leaving much to the imagination...
She glanced over her shoulder to see Chat Noir staring shamelessly at her derrière, a corner of his mouth lifted in a grin.
She cleared her throat. His gaze snapped up to hers, as if suddenly realizing that they actually stopped.
"Bad kitty," she scolded with a smirk.
He met her expression with one of his own. His teeth glinted in the moonlight.
"Oh, My Lady, you have no idea how bad I can really be."
A/N: The club is next chapter! You ready? ;)