I've rewritten this chapter countless times and scrapped like 6k words, but here we are. I've gotta get up for work in like six hours (ugh) but I needed to get this one out to you guys. I may revisit this to fix wording here and there, but overall I'm happy with how this turned out.
Thank you so much for your comments!
Enjoy ;)
Marinette sat by the edge of the pond, arms wrapped around her knees and eyes trained on the small white butterfly before her. It rested on a blade of grass, and she watched as it fluttered its wings and took off, flying in anything but a straight line across the calm surface of the water.
She sighed softly. It had been a week since she came to the East, and the challenges her new training posed were beyond anything she could have anticipated. Cobra was ruthless in his strict regime, and he had started introducing them to all different aspects of battle, whether it be archery, sword fighting, spear throwing, hand-to-hand combat, even using daggers. In addition, he taught them battle formations and how to form barricades and use grappling hooks. There were so many new skills thrown her way in such a short period of time, and she struggled to keep herself from becoming overwhelmed.
It felt like her brain was going to burst from all the information she acquired over the last week, with different tips and tricks blending together until she wasn't sure she remembered anything at all. Not to mention her body was still trying to keep up with the physical demands of her training; there had been a few mornings where she didn't feel capable of getting out of bed.
Since Marinette wasn't living in the East, she didn't have Cobra or her other troop members to help her wake up on time. She wasn't complaining, though. The thought of waking up to Cobra's angry face while the rest of her troop waited for her outside was becoming a common nightmare. Luckily, Chat was gracious enough to gently wake her up if she ever slept in, which turned out to be every morning so far.
Gently might not be the right word. There was one instance where she awoke to him lightly prodding her shoulder, quietly encouraging her to wake up. Instead, she opted to ignore him and roll over, trying to catch just another five hours of sleep. In response, he had whipped the blankets from her bed and hoisted her to her feet, ushering her to her washbasin and only leaving once he saw a hint of consciousness in her eyes.
Despite her struggles as she adjusted to the training, she liked her new routine. Chat would wake her up, give her some motivating words, and send her off to the East like a mother sending their child to school. There, she would meet up with King Monkey, Caprikid, and Minotaurox in the common area before tackling whatever Cobra sent their way. Once she was reduced to a pile of goo, she would trek back to the North to find Chat, and they would relax in their clearing until she couldn't fight the heavy weight of her eyelids anymore.
Yesterday had been a particularly draining day for her, both physically and mentally. After training, she went to the Central Compound to say goodbye to Alya, who was preparing to leave for another recruiting trip. Marinette didn't want to see her friend go, but Alya reassured her she would be back in no time.
Before she left, Alya agreed to deliver a letter to Marinette's parents. Writing the letter was more difficult than Marinette could have imagined. What do you say to your parents, who you haven't seen in months and probably won't see for who knows how long? She knew for a fact her parents were incredibly worried about her, and she tried her best to ease those worries in her message. It was hard not to spill everything about the revolution, and she had to rewrite the letter countless times as she kept revealing a little too much. Eventually, her final draft consisted of her describing a town she was living in and some of the close friends she had made there. She emphasized that she was happy, and that she hoped to write to them again soon.
The whole process stirred up a feeling of homesickness in her, leaving her a lot less chatty while she and Chat lounged in their clearing. She ended up nodding off as they leaned against the tree together, and she vaguely remembered him picking her up and carrying her back to her tent. She was fast asleep by the time he tucked the blanket up to her chin, pressing a light kiss to her forehead and whispering, "Goodnight, M'Lady."
Now, as she watched the breeze spread ripples across the pond, she felt a lot better. It was lunchtime, and she had quickly eaten her food before taking a few minutes to let herself decompress. Watching the butterflies helped her take her mind off of everything, and it was a nice reset before she tackled the rest of her training today.
"Hey Ladybug," a voice behind her called. "Lunch is almost over. Cobra should be coming back soon."
She exhaled heavily, soaking up a few extra seconds of the serenity before getting to her feet. Panther stood behind her, smiling shyly and falling in step with her as they walked back to the common area.
Marinette didn't mind Panther, but sometimes it felt like he was trying too hard to be her friend. He seemed to appear out of nowhere whenever she had a moment to herself, and while she knew she should be grateful that she was getting along with one of her troop members, he could be a little overbearing. He often fished for information about her ‒her likes, dislikes, where she was from, how she made it to the revolution‒ but she only ever gave him surface-level answers, if she gave him an answer at all. Whenever he tried to ask about her childhood, she completely shut down, and he quickly learned that the topic was off limits.
He also liked to give her training advice whenever they were practicing, and while it was occasionally helpful, most of the time she wished he would give her space to experiment on her own. She worked best when she was alone with her thoughts and could reason her way through it, but with him, she could barely hear herself think with how often he was correcting her or giving her demonstrations.
There was a time when Cobra noticed Panther's "teaching" habit. Marinette saw him come up behind Panther, but she didn't acknowledge his presence, instead letting Panther continue on until Cobra caught a piece of inaccurate information. He latched onto it, zeroing in on Panther and grilling him until he was forced to admit that he had been wrong. After that, Panther backed off with his teaching for the rest of the day, but it resumed again by the next morning.
There was one silver lining, though. For some reason, whenever Marinette was with King Monkey, Caprikid, or Minotaurox, Panther never approached her. Sometimes she noticed him lingering in the vicinity, occasionally looking over at them, but not once did he ever try to come join the conversation. Unfortunately, this also worked in reverse, so on the days when Panther found Marinette at the picnic table before the guys did, the three of them always found somewhere else to sit.
The dynamic struck her as odd, and she wondered why there seemed to be some kind of unspoken tension between them. So far, neither parties warned her away from the other, so she figured whatever it was must not be too serious. She chalked it up to them simply not getting along.
As Marinette and Panther walked back to the common area, he asked her questions about her opinions on the East so far, how training was going, yada, yada, yada. She gave half-hearted responses, still half stuck in her head from her relaxing break at the pond.
They reached the open space of the common area, where Marinette instantly picked up on a celebratory mood amongst her troop members. Most were grinning, some were even high fiving each other, and her eyes flicked from face to face as she grew more and more confused. There was no way everyone was this excited to get back to their grueling training session, so she must have missed something.
She took quick strides away from Panther and towards King Monkey. He noticed her approaching, and he turned to her with a wide smile spread across his face. "Ladybug! You won't believe it!"
"What's going on?" she asked, absolutely perplexed as a couple of her troop members zipped by her in a full sprint towards the pond.
"We've got the rest of the day off!"
"What?" Marinette was in disbelief. Cobra? Giving them the day off? "Why?"
King Monkey shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. Some guy came and told us Cobra's busy, so now we can do whatever we want!"
"No," Caprikid corrected from nearby. "He said to take the opportunity to 'hone the skills of our choosing', or keep ourselves busy helping in the fields."
King Monkey waved a dismissive hand. "So what? It's not like anyone's gonna keep tabs on all of us."
Caprikid rolled his eyes, but then he seemed to consider the idea. "Maybe I could finish reading my book…" He turned to Minotaurox. "Do you plan on going to the pond?" Minotaurox nodded in response, and Caprikid started walking off towards a tent on the edge of the clearing. "Give me a second, I'll come with you."
"I could so use a swim right now," King Monkey said, doing a restless dance in place before moving to run towards the pond like his fellow soldiers. He didn't get too far before he skidded to a stop, turning to Marinette. "Are you coming too?"
Marinette opened her mouth to respond, but she hesitated. She wanted to go with them, but another part of her was considering the idea that maybe Chat was available, and she didn't want to miss a chance to spend some extra time with him. The last time they had a whole day together had been unforgettable, and she'd be lying if she said her mind didn't automatically jump to the finale of that particular day. The image of Chat's face inches from hers as his eyes darted down to her lips was just as vivid in her imagination as it had been in reality.
But then, the doubtful part of her crept in. What if he was working? What if he couldn't make time for her like that again? Was he even in the North, or anywhere she could potentially find him?
She bit her lip, feeling conflicted. Finally, she settled with, "I think I'm gonna go take a nap, but maybe I'll catch up with you guys later?"
"Boo," King Monkey said before taking off in a run again. "See you later then!"
Marinette chuckled at his antics, and then she turned around to head towards the path. Panther stood with his back to her, talking to another troop member, and she carefully tip-toed behind him. He would surely want to hang out with her, and the last thing she needed was to waste any time trying to weasel her way away from him. Fortunately, he didn't notice her, and once she was safely out of the tents, she started her trek up the slope with a newfound pep in her step.
She really, really hoped she could find Chat. For once, she wasn't completely exhausted from her training, so maybe they could do something other than sitting in their clearing today. Of course, they had to be mindful of being around too many people, but she knew they would figure something out.
A small part of her was also wary about Cobra's absence, especially because it was so out of character for him to leave them like that. If anything were to come up, he seemed like the type to assign a substitute troop leader, or at least spread them out to different troops so they still had some kind of training. But instead he just… gave them a break? No, there was something going on here. She hoped nothing serious had happened, but if that wasn't the case, she had a bad feeling Cobra had something in store for them.
Marinette found herself meandering through the Compound, eventually ending up at the supply building. Her wardrobe had been feeling rather small lately, and Marinette greeted the seamstress warmly before browsing some clothes laid out on a table.
The woman approached Marinette. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for… um…" she trailed off, and Marinette realized the woman didn't know her name.
"Ladybug," she said, offering a smile.
The woman returned it. "Nice to meet you, Ladybug. I'm Colette." She surveyed Marinette for a moment, as if she was trying to place her. "Although, I'm almost certain I've seen you here before."
"I came by out of costume when I first arrived." She hesitated before adding, "And I came with Chat Noir once."
Colette's face sparked with recognition. "That's where I know you." She snapped her fingers as she tried to think. "He needed… gloves, that's right." Then, she looked at Marinette curiously. "You two came by pretty early in the morning, too."
"He was training me." The words came out easily, and although it was the truth, she was already thinking ahead to how she could divert any suspicions from her and Chat's relationship.
"Ah." Colette nodded, but she didn't press further, instead smiling to herself.
"I am looking for something though," Marinette blurted out, wanting to change the subject.
"What do you need, dear?"
What did she need? Marinette racked her brain, her mind jumping to the place she just left, where all of her troop members had sprinted off to the pond. "I need clothes to swim in."
It was clear on Colette's face that this wasn't the answer she was expecting. "Oh." Her eyes traveled down to the table before them, scanning the options. She was stumped, and she pointed a finger behind her. "Give me one second. I might have something in the back."
Colette disappeared through a door frame, which Marinette realized didn't have a door at all. She heard Colette rummaging around and started to feel slightly guilty. She didn't need any swimwear, and the longer Colette took, the worse she felt for bothering the woman.
Just before she was about to call out to her, Colette appeared with a wide grin on her face and a bundle of fabric in her hands. "How about this?"
Marinette took the clothes. There were two pieces, and she stuck one of them under her arm as she held out what appeared to be a top. It was red ‒Colette had stuck to her color scheme‒ and it was very similar to the one Marinette had on right now. The only difference was that it was cropped even shorter, down to just below the bust, and it had a slight cinch on the bottom, most likely to keep the top in place over her chest. She swapped it out for the other article of clothing, finding that it was a pair of black shorts that were bordering on underwear.
She looked back at Colette, who was also considering the clothes. "I'll admit, they're a little skimpy…" she said as she tapped her chin. "Who are you going swimming with?"
Marinette had lied to begin with, so she struggled for a response. "Oh, um, I don't know…" She gave a shrug as she tried to make up her answer on the spot. "You never know when you might need them. I just wanted to have them in case-" she stopped short, not knowing what to say next but also realizing that she could just end her sentence there.
Colette listened to her fumbled response, a smile pulling at her lips. "I see," she said, and she took the clothes from Marinette and folded them up neatly again. As she placed them back in Marinette's hands, she winked. "He's a handsome one."
Marinette's eyes widened. "W-what?"
Colette gave her a knowing look. "I'm a married woman, sweetie. I'm not blind to these things. You two have walked by here enough times." She patted the top of the stack. "You'll look absolutely stunning in these. I promise, his jaw will hit the floor." She began ushering a speechless Marinette outside. "Now go on, don't keep him waiting."
Marinette stumbled onto the street again, where she stood frozen in place, trying to process what the hell just happened. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a rush of embarrassment as Colette's words set in.
Were her and Chat really that obvious? Whatever Colette had picked up on was surely before anything was actually going on between them, or at least before Marinette acknowledged her desire for something more. Technically, there wasn't anything between them, not yet…
No, another part of Marinette argued. Friends don't act the way we do.
It was almost as if they were in some sort of limbo, subtly flirting with one another, getting physically close but never verbally acknowledging what was going on or how they were feeling. As Marinette started mindlessly walking to the North, she came to a realization.
If anything, Chat was the one who initiated all of those things. He was the one who offered her his hand for a dance, he was the one who scooped her up and carried her to their clearing, and he was the one who somehow always had a flirty quip to add into their banter.
He did it so naturally, so confidently that Marinette found herself going along for the ride, falling for him more and more every day. If that wasn't him showing his feelings for her, then she didn't know what was.
But had she ever shown him how she felt? Sure, she bantered with him, but whenever he said something overly flirtatious or suggestive, she got flustered and turned it into another joke. She was receptive to his physical advances, but again, she had a tendency to freeze up and go along with whatever he was doing.
As she made her way down the path between the Northern tents, her perspective on her and Chat's relationship shifted completely. She had always doubted whether or not he liked her and did her best to hide her feelings, but what if he was doing the same thing? Granted, he didn't seem to be trying to hide it, but so far, she hadn't gone out of her way to flirt with him or initiate contact outside of comforting him in his low moments.
What if he had the same doubts about her?
Her mind flashed to that night in her tent. He was standing before her, looking as if he was about to kiss her, but then he sighed and veered off to her cheek. Maybe… he wasn't sure if she felt the same way. Maybe he was hesitant to cross that line, afraid to do something that would change their friendship forever.
Marinette let out a frustrated groan, berating herself for not realizing it sooner. She was the one who wasn't acting, she was the reason why they were in this limbo. He was waiting for her to give him a sign that she viewed him as more than just a friend ‒and dear god, was that the truth‒ but so far she hadn't.
That changes today.
Marinette set her face in determination. As intimidating as it sounded, she had one mission for today: flirt with Chat Noir. He made it look so easy, so really, how hard could it be? First things first, she needed to find him, and she wasn't about to lug these clothes around while she did. She veered off the path and made a quick stop at her tent, discarding the clothes on her bed for the time being. Just as she was about to leave, she thought better of it, and she took an extra few minutes to redo her face paint and ponytail.
Feeling much more presentable, she set off towards their clearing, crossing her fingers that maybe Chat had taken his lunch break there. She passed a handful of Northern soldiers on her way, and she did her best to walk with confidence, as if she was supposed to be here at this time of day. Nobody batted an eye at her, and some even greeted her warmly as she passed. In the last couple of weeks, she had become a familiar face around here, so her presence wasn't exactly out of the ordinary.
The path ahead opened up to the North Training Grounds, and she lingered at the edge of the treeline, observing the numerous soldiers training in the field.
Marinette was used to seeing these grounds deserted. She and Chat used to come through in the early mornings, but today, it was the afternoon. Training was in full swing, and it appeared as though each soldier had free reign over what they wanted to do. There were quite a few individuals training themselves on various structures, and she even spotted a group nearby observing a sparring match. The crowd parted slightly, and she realized it was two soldiers decked out in full suits of armor, the clanging of metal sounding in the air as their swords clashed.
Marinette watched, in awe, as they danced around each other, their movements so swift and fluid that it was almost as if the pounds of armor were weightless. She could barely keep track of who had the upper hand. Neither appeared to be solely on offense or defense, but it slowly became clear to her that the man with the dark colored armor was getting an edge on his opponent, who was becoming lethargic.
He picked up the speed of his attacks, swinging the sword with a precision that only came from years of practice, and his opponent struggled to keep up. He gave one last upward swing, sending the other sword spinning into the air before it landed with the blade stuck into the ground. The now armless soldier raised his hands in defeat, and the crowd erupted with whoops and indiscernible shouts as the fight finally came to a close.
The defeated soldier took off his helmet, but he had a smile on his face as he said something to the man with the dark armor. Marinette watched as the victor reached up and removed his helmet as well, and her heart jumped to her throat as he revealed a mop of blonde hair, the usually soft and fluffy strands now wet with sweat.
Chat had a huge grin on his face, and he reached forward to grab the other soldier's outstretched hand and bump their shoulders together in sign of camaraderie.
Marinette was floored, even awestruck. She had never seen Chat in action before. The closest she had come to seeing what he could really do was during the third task when he sparred with her troop members, but even then she could tell he was holding back. It was always known to her that he was skilled, but that knowledge was nothing compared to seeing him in the midst of a fight, seeing the results of the years he spent training to get to where he was now. Chat wasn't just their revolutionary leader, he was a soldier, and a good one at that.
The crowd began to disperse, and with a start she realized Chat was walking in her direction. He was in conversation with another soldier, so he hadn't noticed her yet. She took a step back, but she was conflicted on whether or not she should leave and pretend she hadn't been watching him from afar. Maybe if there weren't other soldiers around, she wouldn't be having these thoughts, but the longer she stood hesitating, the less time she had to make a move.
She heard footsteps behind her, and she turned to look at the soldier sidestepping past her. He had purple face paint, and she recognized him as the soldier who helped her get Chat's bed. Chat said his name was Falcon, right?
"Excuse me," she said without thinking, and he stopped to look over at her.
"Oh," he said, recognizing her instantly. "Do you need something?" He averted his eyes before adding, "Again?"
She felt slightly embarrassed, but she drowned it out as her gaze flicked over his shoulder to where Chat and the other soldier were getting closer. "Yeah," she looked back at Falcon, but she could feel Chat's eyes on her now, "I was just wondering if lunch had ended yet."
She had already eaten of course, but that was the only idea she could come up with, and talking to Falcon was a better reason for her to be standing here than accidentally spying on Chat. Falcon gave her a slightly apologetic look. "Sorry, I saw the ladies packing up on my way here. You just missed it."
She plastered disappointment onto her face before giving him an appreciative smile. "That's okay. Thanks anyway."
The clinking of armor sounded behind Falcon, and Marinette allowed herself to look straight at Chat as he approached them. A curious smile tugged at his lips, and she tried her best to keep her eyes from roaming over him. Up close, she could see how his wet hair stuck to his forehead, his skin shining with sweat and only making it glow under the afternoon sunlight. His suit of armor made him appear bigger, wider, and after observing his skilled swordsmanship in the duel, he had never looked stronger.
Falcon nodded his head to Chat in a greeting, and he returned it as Falcon took his leave. The soldier who Chat was walking with continued past her, leaving Chat to give her a pleasantly bemused look. "To whom do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here, M'Lady?"
Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she cursed him for how easily he could make her feel this way. The words left his mouth freely, blissfully unaware of how much of an effect he had on her. "Cobra," she responded, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I know. He had something else to do, so I'm done with training for today."
"Huh." Chat appeared puzzled by this, and she shared the same sentiment. Then, something sparked on his face. "I know what it is. The specialization tests are today, and a few of our administrators have been sick."
That made a lot more sense. Marinette was relieved nothing bad had happened, although she should've realized that when she saw Chat out here rather than holed up in his tent, tending to some unknown emergency. But still, why did Cobra cancel training instead of recruiting the help of another troop leader?
Chat was on the same train of thought. "It's strange that he gave you the day off. That's not like him."
"Right?" She bit her lip, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to put herself in Cobra's shoes. "It doesn't make sense."
Chat shrugged. "My best guess? He's got one hell of a plan for you tomorrow, and he's just giving you all a false sense of security."
Marinette felt a heavy weight drop in her stomach, suddenly dreading tomorrow's training. Chat was definitely right. There was no way Cobra would ever be so generous unless he had something else up his sleeve.
"Great," she mumbled. She didn't want to think about this anymore. Whatever Cobra had planned for them, that was tomorrow's problem. Right now, it was the early afternoon, and she had the whole day ahead of her to possibly spend with Chat. She nodded her head at his armor. "I see you've been busy."
Chat smirked, glancing down at the sheathed sword on his hip fondly. "What can I say? I've gotta keep my skills sharp."
She gave him an amused smile. "Feeling sword of punny today?"
He grinned. "What can I say? After this, I think I could be a cutting-edge comedian."
"You might need to sharpen your wits before you do that."
Chat held up a finger. "Ah, ah, ah. I already used that one."
She narrowed her eyes. "In a different context. It still counts." He shook his head, refusing to accept her pun as an entry into their unspoken contest. She huffed, but then an idea struck her. She took a small step forward, being mindful not to get too close to him while they were still surrounded by Northern soldiers. "Fine, then let's cut to the chase." She cocked her head. "What are you doing after this?"
He stared at her for a moment before mirroring her. "Nothing that demands my attention. What are you doing?"
Flirt with him, she reminded herself. She allowed her gaze to scan his body before snapping it back to his face. "Demanding your attention."
Behind the veil, his eyes widened slightly, lips parting as he looked at her in what she could only assume was surprise at her forwardness. Then, he cleared his throat, schooling his expression and giving her a lopsided smirk. "You've already got it, M'Lady."
Their gazes were locked, and she didn't know what to say next. Luckily, Chat spoke for her.
"Is there anything you want to do?" Another soldier passed by them, and they broke eye contact. Wanting to get away from any prying eyes, Marinette motioned with her head for them to start walking. She bought herself some time to think as they started down the path towards the tents, Chat easily falling in step beside her.
Marinette scoured her mind for an idea, something other than sitting in their clearing. Her mind strayed to her brief visit with Colette, and she found herself asking, "Are there any lakes nearby?"
Chat turned to look at her, blinking in surprise. "Lakes?" She nodded, and he pressed his lips together in thought. "Yeah, I think I know a place." He gave her a sly smile. "Why? You up for a swim?"
With all that Cobra had been putting her through lately, hell yeah she was. The thought of floating weightlessly in the water and soothing her aching muscles was tantalizing.
"Yeah, I could use a swim." She nudged him with her elbow, but she was met with the hard metal of his armor. "And I think your sweaty ass could use it too."
He laughed. "I'm gonna properly wash up before we go." They veered off the path, and as they approached her tent, they made an agreement to meet at their clearing once they were ready. She went to duck inside, but his voice stopped her. "Wait." She turned around in her makeshift doorway, holding the canvas open on either side of her. "Do you have anything to swim in?"
"I picked up some clothes from Colette earlier." She paused, and feeling a sudden rush of confidence, she leaned forward slightly. "And I was told," she lowered her voice, allowing a playful smirk to grace her lips, "that they would make your jaw drop." She winked, and the last thing she saw before she closed the canvas was the stunned look on Chat's face.
Marinette paced in front of the apple tree, dressed in her old sweatshirt and black shorts. She was wearing her new swimwear underneath, and in her hands was an extra shirt she brought along to use as a towel. Although she had been oddly bold in her earlier interaction with Chat, her stomach now churned with nerves.
She hadn't anticipated how revealing her swimming clothes were until she had put them on. She could feel air on parts of her body she wasn't used to having exposed, and the thought of Chat seeing her like that aroused feelings of self-consciousness in her. Of course, this only led to her thinking about what Chat was going to wear. He was a guy, so he was for sure going to go shirtless, and a swarm of butterflies awakened in her at the thought.
God, what had she gotten herself into?
The sound of twigs snapping and branches rustling drew her attention to the edge of the forest. It was different, though. It wasn't the sound of a person walking. No, it was something much larger. A tall, dark figure became visible between the leaves, and suddenly a horse was emerging from the treeline.
Marinette's eyebrows shot to her hairline as Plagg stepped into the clearing, a beaming Chat perched atop his back. They approached her before Chat steered Plagg to the side and pulled him to a stop. She gaped up at Chat, silently surveying the black shorts and green tank top he was wearing. His hair was still slightly wet from where he had washed it, and it fell perfectly just above his eyes.
"Your steed has arrived, M'Lady." Plagg blew a loud puff of air out of his nose, punctuating his sentence.
She stood dumbstruck as he dismounted, walking up to her and seeming satisfied by her reaction. She stammered for a response, eyes looking between him and Plagg.
He cocked his head at her. "What? Cat got your tongue?"
She clamped her still gaping mouth shut. "I take it we're going far?" she finally said.
He nodded his head in a so-so manner. "Far enough that it would be a pain to walk." He gestured his arm back to Plagg. "I figured that we could take this guy instead."
Marinette eyed the horse with slight hesitation. She had never ridden one before, and the idea intimidated her. Chat seemed to sense this, and he moved his face into her line of sight.
"Hey," he said softly. "I'll be right there with you. I promise, it's not as scary as it looks." She looked at him unsurely, and he offered his hand. "Come on, I can help you up." He led her over to Plagg and showed her the different pieces of equipment he was wearing. The saddle, the reins, the stirrups, and he explained to her how to properly mount the horse. She was supposed to use the stirrup as a stepping stool to swing her other leg around, but Plagg was tall, and so was the foothold.
"I can help lift you." Chat came behind her as she tentatively positioned herself beside Plagg, draping the t-shirt over his back before reaching up towards the saddle. She brought her foot way up to hook into the stirrup. Chat placed his hands on her waist, and her mind hyper-fixated on his touch. "On the count of three." She bounced on her foot as he counted, trying to gain enough momentum before hoisting herself up on three. He lifted with her, and she went upwards almost effortlessly. She took over once she was high enough, swinging her leg around and plopping down on the saddle. Once she was securely mounted, she beamed down at Chat, feeling incredibly tall from this height.
He returned it, giving her a proud look before hoisting himself up behind her. He scooched himself close, his chest pressed firmly against her back as he reached his arms around to grab the reins. Then, he thought better of it, grabbing her wrists and placing the reins in her hands before wrapping his own on top of hers.
She felt warm, both from the heat emanating from his body and her racing heart pumping a bright red flush into her cheeks. His head came around to peer over her shoulder as he steered Plagg to walk up the shallow slope of the hill. This position instantly reminded her of her very first training session with Chat, when he came up behind her to guide her hands with the sword. It had felt weirdly intimate at that time, but now? There was an unspoken feeling in the air as they made their way into the woods, pressed close together with Chat's arms wrapped around her and his warm hands on hers.
It felt… romantic.
Her and Chat made mindless conversation as they traveled for a good twenty minutes. Talking with him helped her relax more, and she realized that he was right; riding a horse wasn't as scary as it looked, and it was actually kind of fun. She found herself leaning back into his chest, and his posture remained solid, holding her weight up. At some point, they fell into a comfortable silence, allowing Marinette to get lost in her thoughts.
When she woke up this morning, this was not at all how she expected her day to turn out. First, she had the chance to visit the pond in the East, and then she had the rare opportunity to see Chat fight to the best of his ability. To top it all off, he had surprised her with a horseback ride and was now taking her to some unknown place to go for a relaxing swim. She smiled contentedly. "You're full of surprises today," she mused.
She felt his head shift to look down at her. "Me? I could say the same about you."
Her eyebrows furrowed, and she twisted around to face him, but she could only partially see him out of the corner of her eye. "What do you mean?"
Chat sighed, but it turned into a chuckle. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I could've sworn you were flirting with me back there."
Her breath caught in her throat. Damn him for his bluntness. She faced forward again, attempting to compose herself as she tried to breathe normally. Her next words lingered on her tongue before she finally had the gall to say them. "And… what if I was?"
He was silent for too long, the only sound being Plagg's footsteps on the forest floor. She anxiously awaited his response, heart thudding in her chest, and she nearly jumped when she felt him lean forward, his soft voice beside her ear. "Then it's about time."
She let out a shuddering breath, feeling a new kind of tension form between them as they finally acknowledged the one thing they both knew, but never said out loud. Neither of them spoke for the remaining minute or so of the ride, their words hanging heavily in the air.
Light could be seen filtering through the trees ahead of them, and soon they were emerging onto the shore of a small lake. The water was like glass, the only disturbance coming from the breeze blowing ripples across the surface. The perimeter of the lake was windy and unpredictable, small alcoves caving in and jutting out on the opposite shore, and Marinette realized they were in one such alcove.
The space before them was a semicircle. Lines of trees wrapped themselves around a small beach with tightly packed sand, continuing out past the water before ending abruptly and opening up to the rest of the lake. It was slightly asymmetrical, but beautiful nonetheless.
Chat pulled Plagg to a stop by the edge of the trees. He dismounted with ease before turning to help her down. She pretty much did exactly what she did to get up, but in reverse, and his hands were there to steady her as she planted her foot on the ground once again. She shot him a grateful smile before retrieving her t-shirt towel and wandering to the water's edge. Chat followed behind her, leading Plagg alongside him and allowing the horse to take a drink from the surprisingly clear water.
She bent down and lightly dipped her fingers in, testing the temperature. It was warm, but she wasn't fooled. The water could be much cooler further in as the bottom of the lake sank deeper and deeper. She lifted her hand and watched as the water droplets steadily fell from her fingertips, the dripping noise one of the only sounds in the quiet serenity of the lakeshore.
It was so calm out here, so peaceful. It was perfect.
In her peripheral, she saw Chat lead Plagg back behind her and heard the sound of him tying the horse up securely. She slipped off her shoes and socks, feeling the warm, sunbaked sand between her toes as she walked to leave them further up the bank. Her sweatshirt was uncomfortably hot under the sun, and she couldn't wait to finally be rid of it. Her hands were just about to pull at the hem when she felt Chat's eyes on her, and she turned to meet his gaze.
He was already looking away, busying himself by fidgeting with the knot he had already tied. A curious smirk crossed her face. She had caught him looking, and she let her eyes linger on him for a few seconds, knowing that he could still see her out of the corner of his eye.
Despite how self-conscious she was feeling earlier, it was now accompanied by something else. A feeling of power. She knew he was paying close attention to her, and she was hyper-aware of this as she lifted the sweatshirt over her head. She tossed it onto the ground by her shoes before grabbing the waistband of her shorts, carefully shimming them down her legs and opting to kick them off at her ankles. The cool breeze felt amazing on her bare skin, and she made a few adjustments to her swimming clothes, making sure nothing had ridden up somewhere during its time beneath her sweatshirt and shorts.
Now, it was as if holes were burning into the side of her head. His eyes were on her again, and when she glanced up, he didn't look away. Instead, his eyes flicked up from where they had been surveying her body, landing on her face. His expression was unreadable.
"Are you coming?" she asked innocently.
He blinked, then nodded as he turned away. "Yeah." His voice came out slighter lower than usual, and he cleared his throat as he tested the knot one last time.
She pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile as she turned her back on him, making her way back to the shore and feeling just a bit more confident in herself. She was loving the effect she had on him, loving that she was now turning the tables and giving him a piece of his own medicine.
As Marinette stepped into the water, she was acutely aware of the rustling of clothing behind her. She continued to walk, the water around her legs becoming cooler and cooler. Despite how her skin burned under the sun, she couldn't bring herself to submerge past the top of her thighs. She paused, letting herself adjust to the temperature before inching just a bit further.
The sound of water splashing behind her drew her attention. "You know," it grew closer and closer as Chat made his way through the water, "you're doing this the hard way."
Marinette let out a huff. "Shh, I'm getting there."
He hummed, the sound coming from directly behind her now. Before she knew what he was doing, he scooped up two handfuls of water and splashed them over her shoulders. A loud gasp escaped her as goosebumps erupted over her skin, and she whipped around to glare at him in indignation.
Her eyes were met with the sight of his bare chest, and she involuntarily glanced downwards towards the defined ripples of his abdominal muscles. Shit. Her gaze flicked up to his face, and he was staring down at her with that stupidly attractive smirk. She gulped, feeling a bright flush spread across her cheeks.
"See?" he said innocently, and the tables were turned right back on her. "It's easier to just jump."
Jump? She didn't have time to process what he meant. He grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up, and she let out a startled, "Chat!" as he swiftly carried her further into the lake. Then, he dropped her, and she plunged into the cold water, just barely keeping her head from going under. A loud splash followed as he intentionally flopped down beside her, and she lifted her hand just in time to shield her eyes, and also her face paint, from the flying droplets.
She gave him an exasperated look, but he had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. Two can play this game. She swiped her arm, sending a spray of water directly at him. He blocked the attack with his arms before his features turned affronted. "Excuse me, but I have an identity to hide here."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Oh really?" Another splash was sent in his direction, and he gaped at her. "So do I, Kitty Cat. Not all of us have a veil to protect our face paint."
"This veil," he sent a wave in her direction, "is incredibly thin." He cocked his head at her. "Otherwise how would I be able to see your beautiful face?"
Warmth spread across her cheeks, and she pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. "Well, the veil makes it harder for me to see yours."
"It's part of my disguise, M'Lady. Too late to switch it up now."
She raised an eyebrow. "And changing your shirt color wasn't switching it up?"
He gave her a lopsided smile, planting his feet on the ground before raising his shoulders out of the water. He gestured to himself. "What shirt?"
She scanned his now dripping wet form. "You know, I think I prefer this new look." Something flickered on his face, and before he could respond, she sent another splash towards him. He blocked it and narrowed his eyes at her in a challenge. He wasted no time in returning the attack at equal force, and thus, the war had begun.
They danced around each other, water flying in the air between them as they sent wave after wave in the other's direction. Marinette couldn't resist her wide smile, her giggles as she expertly dodged another attempt to soak her. It was a miracle that neither managed to hit each other directly in the face, but some stray droplets caused little streaks of paint to roll down their cheeks.
The quiet serenity of the lake was now filled with the sounds of their laughter. After who knows how long, they finally called a truce, but they continued to laugh and joke with one another as they swam. The water felt so soothing on Marinette's skin. She had adjusted to the temperature easily, and relief spread through her aching muscles as she turned to float on her back.
Chat did the same beside her, and they watched as the sun overhead peeked through the clouds, shining warm light down on them. They laid there in silence for a little while, simply enjoying the comfort of the water and each other's company.
"I'm glad you suggested this," Chat said.
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His face was relaxed and content as he stared up at the sky, and she smiled softly. "So am I."
It wasn't long before the sun hid itself behind the clouds, and from the looks of it, it wouldn't be returning any time soon. Chat gave a disappointed sigh, and the water began to feel more cold without the heat of the sun to counteract its cool temperature.
Marinette pulled the hair tie from her submerged hair and wrapped it around her wrist. She ran her fingers through the incredibly soft locks, and once she was sure there weren't a terrible amount of tangles in her hair, she sat up, head tilted back to keep the water from dripping onto her face.
Her feet found the bottom of the lake, and she stood, the water coming to just above her chest. She reached up and wrung out her hair, feeling Chat's eyes on her once again.
"You wanna head back?" he asked, standing up too.
"Yeah, I'm getting cold." She realized his question could have also meant leave, as in head back to the revolution, so she added, "Maybe we can go sit on the shore?"
His face relaxed into a smile. "Of course we can."
They trekked through the water, slowly but surely making their way back to land. Chat let Marinette take the lead, and she walked onto the sand with him following close behind her. The air, normally a nice, neutral temperature, felt chilly on her wet skin, and she folded her arms over her chest as she approached her pile of clothes. She rummaged around for her t-shirt slash towel and quickly dried herself off.
Chat had left his shirt and shoes a couple feet further onto the shore, and in her peripheral she saw him reach down to pick up his own t-shirt towel. He was facing away from her, so she felt safe to peek over at him.
He was toweling his hair dry, the muscles in his arms bulging at the movement. She bit her lip, letting her eyes drop down to the wide expanse of his well-defined back.
Her heart nearly stopped, eyes widening as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth.
Across the entirety of his back, from the top of his left shoulder to his right hip, was a long, angry scar. A white line defined the original wound, but the skin around it was pink and taut with scar tissue, as if it had healed incorrectly. But with the sheer size of it, how could something like that heal correctly?
How… was he even alive?
"Chat…" she said quietly, lowering her hand as she stepped towards him.
He seemed unaware of what he'd accidentally revealed to her. "Yeah?" He brought his arms down to start toweling off his chest, still facing away from her.
Marinette couldn't take her eyes off of him, off of the unbelievable scar. She reached her hand out, and it trembled slightly as she inched her fingers closer, finally allowing them to graze the rough skin.
Chat stilled, and she felt his muscles tense under her touch. "Oh," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. She heard him swallow thickly, but he didn't make a move to turn around. He was rooted to the spot, as was she as her eyes took in the sight before her.
What on earth could have caused this? The scar was continuous, as if his entire back had been sliced open. The only possibility she could think of was a sword. The length made sense, but dear god, she couldn't stop the horrific images from flashing through her mind as she imagined how this had looked as an open wound. How this had felt.
Her face twisted up at the thought, and she blinked rapidly. Her eyes fell to his left hand hanging by his side, and she moved to stand beside it, her fingers wrapping around his wrist as she turned his palm face up. The pink and white scar she had seen all those weeks ago stared back at her. It had looked awful then, but now, it was only a miniature version of the much, much worse scar on his back.
She heard the sound of his t-shirt towel hitting the ground, and he turned towards her. She looked up, a million questions barreling through her mind as her alarmed eyes darted between his. He looked as though he didn't know what to say, and he was apprehensively waiting for her to speak.
"What happened to you?" Her voice was thick with emotions she couldn't identify. Was it pain? Horror? Fear of what his answer may be?
Chat chewed on his lip, and he dropped his gaze to his outstretched hand between them. He stared at the scar, and his eyes seemed to glaze over, no doubt remembering the moment he received the wound. "There were guards in the prison." His voice was flat, monotonous. He shrugged weakly. "I got caught."
He stated it so simply, but Marinette knew that it was anything but.
Chat shook his head to himself, plastering on a weak smile. "Can we just go back to having fun?" He attempted to make his tone light, but his face fell again at the look in her eyes.
She was thinking of Nino's words from a week ago. The first time I met Chat wasn't very glamorous. I try not to think about it. Was this why? Nino had met Chat right after the prison break, and if these scars were anything to go by, he had been severely wounded. No wonder Nino didn't want to talk to her about it. Seeing Chat in that kind of state would surely leave a mark on someone, and she refused to let her thoughts continue to what the process of treating his wounds had been like.
At her silence, Chat pressed his lips together. "Look, it happened a long time ago. It's okay-"
"It's not okay!" she cried, suddenly feeling a rush of anger. "You were hurt, Chat!"
The image she had of Chat's invasion of the prison was now tainted by the thought of him, covered in blood, stumbling through the castle as he fought to survive. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the building tears to go away.
"Hey," he whispered, his hands moving to grasp her shoulders. "Hey, please look at me." His voice was soft and coaxing, and she did what he asked. "I'm here now, right? I'm alive. That's all that matters-"
"No," she interrupted, and she tried to speak again, but the words were stuck as her throat started to constrict. He was technically right; he was alive, he was here with her, but for some reason her mind refused to accept the fact that he had been injured so severely in order to be standing before her.
Chat searched her face, trying to figure out what to do. "Tell me what's wrong."
Another flash of anger came through her, and she found her voice again. "What's wrong is that this happened to you in the first place!" Her heart ached for him, for the man with the scars both inside and out. She couldn't fathom him going through something like this. He didn't deserve it. "I…" she let out a defeated sigh. She didn't know who she was angry at. The royals? The world? Chat was still watching her unsurely, and she finally gave him the truth. "I just hate the thought of you getting hurt."
Chat stared at her for a long moment. "Why?"
She looked at him in bewilderment. "What?"
He licked his lips, hesitating before asking, "Why does it bother you?"
Wasn't it obvious? "Because you're my fr-" She cut herself off. No, Chat was more than just a friend to her. "Because.." Her mind sifted through word after word, none of them worth enough to convey who he was to her. Finally, she said, "Because you mean a lot to me, Chat, and I care about you."
There was something in his eyes that she couldn't identify, and he waited a long moment before saying quietly, "Why?"
She felt slightly irritated. His questions weren't making sense to her, but as he continued to stare, she realized what he was doing.
He was prompting her, trying to get her to explain why she cared so deeply for him, enough that she reacted emotionally at the sight of his scars.
He wanted her to tell him how she felt, and her heart began thudding in her chest as two words swirled at the forefront of her mind.
Tell him.
She didn't know what to say, and her eyes roamed over his face as she tried to plan it out in her head. Nothing was coming to mind, so instead, she exhaled softly, letting her lips move freely. "I don't know why." She reminisced back on when she first met him and compared it to where they were now. What changed? "I love spending time with you, Chat. You're the first person I've gotten close to since…" Adrien. "Since I was young. I can't explain it, but I just care, okay? I care that you had to go through something that could've killed you. I care that you don't get enough sleep at night, and that you have to deal with all this pressure from being our leader."
His hands were still on her shoulders, and she reached hers up to hang onto his wrists. He seemed to be clinging to her every word, eyes darting between hers as she spoke. Now that she had started, she couldn't stop. "I care about getting to see you every night and hearing how your day went," she cracked a smile, "and I even care about your stupid puns." Chat chuckled, but his eyes never left her face. "I care about seeing you smile, genuinely, not just so you can convince everyone you're okay." She took a deep breath, and her voice came out quiet now. "And I… I care if I'm as important to you as you are to me."
The silence following her words was deafening. She felt so much lighter now, but her stomach churned with nerves as she awaited his response. He took a moment to process what she had said, and then, his face softened. "Do you want to know what I think of you?"
She was too nervous to speak, so she gave a small nod.
His eyes found a loose strand of hair hanging by her face, and he reached up to gently tuck it behind her ear. "I think," his thumb brushed across a streak of paint on her cheek, and her skin tingled in its wake, "that you're brave, you're intelligent, and you're the most compassionate person I know, and training you was one of the best decisions I ever made." He was looking at her with such tenderness, and she melted under his gaze. "You mean… so much to me, and I…" His mouth was open, but it seemed as though he was hesitant to say what he wanted to say. There was a longing in his eyes, and she knew exactly what it was.
She took a small step forward, encouraging him. "Chat," her voice was barely above a whisper, "you can tell me anything."
He swallowed, and then his eyes drifted down to her lips, lingering there. "Anything?" His gaze flicked up to hers in a silent question, and her breath caught in her throat.
Act, Marinette. She stepped even closer to him, moving her hands to rest on his bare chest. Her eyes dropped to his parted lips before raising to meet his again. "Anything," she whispered.
She could feel his heart beating under her palms, racing just like hers. He cupped her cheek, his other hand sliding down to rest on the curve of her waist. Their faces were inches apart now, and Chat's eyes found her lips once again.
He wanted this. She wanted this. Sensing his hesitation, she moved her hands to the back of his neck, lightly pulling as she raised herself onto her tip-toes. That was all he needed. He ducked his head and finally closed the distance between them.
Their lips met in a soft and gentle press. It lasted for only a few seconds before they parted, just far enough where they could look at each other. The tension that had been building between them for so long was unbearable now, and it snapped as they both dove back in. The first kiss had been experimental, but this one was firmer, more passionate. Her hands crept up to weave through his hair, and his calloused fingers gripped her waist even tighter. Chat turned his head to a different angle, deepening the kiss. Their lips found a slow, steady rhythm, the world around them fading away.
Marinette could barely think. All she could do was feel. She had never kissed anyone before, and the one thing her imagination didn't take into account was that it was so much more than lips on lips. It was his hands on her body, his arm wrapping around her torso to pull her flush against him. It was the warm and exhilarating feeling that spread throughout her entire being, something she had never felt before but couldn't get enough of as she pressed herself impossibly closer to him. It was as if the tension between them had been released, but also wound impossibly tighter as they reveled in the feel of one another.
Their kisses began to lessen in intensity, tapering off until their lips pressed together in one last lingering kiss. Slowly, they pulled away and rested their foreheads together, breathing heavily as their dazed minds tried to process what just happened.
Chat was the first to break the silence. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that." His voice was low, lower than she had ever heard it.
Her heart was still rapidly beating against her chest, and she let out a breathy chuckle. "I think I can imagine." She leaned back so she could properly look at him, and she admired the slight flush on his face. "I thought you were going to that night in my tent."
"I was, but… I wasn't sure if you felt the same way."
Then her suspicions were correct. All this time Chat had been trying to figure her out, meanwhile she was struggling to accept her own feelings for him. She leaned forward and nudged her nose against his, whispering, "Now you know."
He caressed her cheek, looking down at her affectionately. "Now I know."
Her face broke out in a giddy smile, and he returned it as they laughed softly.
The air between them was so different now that they had finally crossed that line. They were in new territory, and while the thought of getting involved with Chat had terrified her before, she had never felt more secure. Chat was her best friend, but now there was something more, a new depth to their relationship that she couldn't wait to explore with him.
"I believe you said something about sitting on the shore?" Chat said, unwinding one of her hands from his neck and holding it in his own.
"I believe I did." She missed his warmth as he let go of her torso, but his hand was firm around hers as he led them over to the treeline, his eyes never leaving her face. They found a wide tree trunk to settle down against, and she wasted no time in snuggling up against his side. His arm wrapped around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
He grabbed her hand once again, and she watched as their fingers intertwined. His hand was so much bigger than hers, and she stared at the sight fondly. She tilted her head up to look at him, but his gaze was already on her.
"You were right," he said.
"About what?"
"My jaw dropping." He leaned his face closer to hers. "You look stunning," he whispered before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
She savored the feeling, and when they pulled away, she couldn't resist her smile. "You look pretty handsome yourself."
He preened. "Does this mean I get compliments now?"
She chuckled before resting forehead against his neck. "Yup. Get used to it."
He rested his chin on her head, his arm around her shoulder pulling her closer. His embrace was warm and safe, and Marinette sighed with content.
The rest of the world didn't exist. Right now, it was her and Chat. As the warm sunlight shone through the clouds once again, Marinette felt completely at ease.
She wasn't alone anymore, and neither was Chat. They had each other, and she knew that whatever life had in store for them, everything would be okay.
They were in this together.
The next chapter is called "Something New"