Than you for your feedback in the comments! I think I'm going to settle in the range of about 5k-8k words for each chapter. There are a couple chapters I have planned for the near future that I know are going to exceed that, but I'm glad to hear that you all are enjoying the story regardless. We're getting close to some pivotal chapters, so lately I've been motivated to write again.

Thank you all for your lovely comments, and without further ado, enjoy ;)


The first thing Marinette became aware of was the soft rustling noise of the wind blowing between the leaves of the forest. It was a pleasant sound, one that almost lulled her back to sleep as she nuzzled her face deeper into her pillow. She had just begun to slip back into the blissful darkness when the loud cawing of a nearby bird yanked her into consciousness again. She scrunched up her face, grumbling in protest.

Now that she lived in the North, her tent was deep in the woods, so she couldn't escape the sounds of the forest in the mornings. Despite Rhino's obnoxious snoring, at least her quarters in the South had been in a field, far enough away that she wasn't disturbed by the sounds of the animals coexisting with them amongst the trees.

Marinette wiggled around, trying to get more comfortable so she could drift away along the gentle current of sleep again, but the movement made her more aware of her body. Her brows furrowed as she felt a slight ache in her shoulder. She moved it again, feeling grass tickle the bare skin of her arm. Weird.

She was outside, but that couldn't be right. Her arms were tucked in front of her, with her head snuggled into a pillow and the weight of a blanket on her side cocooning her in its warmth.

A blanket that now pulled her tighter, pressing her face into something firm.

Now thoroughly confused and slightly panicked about her whereabouts, Marinette fought against the tantalizing pull of sleep and forced herself to crack an eye open.

All she saw was green. The green of a shirt, actually, and suddenly her eyes shot wide open as they landed on the tan skin of an arm wrapped firmly around her shoulders. She felt her heart rate increase, pounding loudly against her chest. She prayed that no one could hear it, knowing full well that there was only one person who might.

She chanced a glance upwards, taking great care not to shift her head where it was laying on his outstretched arm. Chat's face was tilted down towards her, his head pillowed by nothing but the grass beneath them. He breathed softly through his nose, a peaceful expression on his face.

Marinette's eyes traveled to the sky, and with a start she realized the sun was beginning its descent into the trees. How long had they been asleep?! She became incredibly aware of the fact that her and Chat had been missing all day. Although he told her that he was taking the day off, he never mentioned it to anyone else. What if someone was looking for him?

Marinette's gaze found his face again, and she bit her lip in hesitation. She needed to wake him, but at the same time, she didn't want to disturb the hours of sleep he was finally getting.

Besides, he was so warm-

No, she stopped herself before her thoughts could stray any further. They must have done this in their sleep. It was an accident. Her and Chat were friends, and friends don't cuddle, not like this. It was too… intimate.

Against every fiber of her being, every panicked thought of how he might react when he wakes up, Marinette lifted a hand and gently prodded his shoulder. "Chat," she whispered, hating how nervous her voice sounded.

When he didn't move, she poked him again, a little harder this time. "Chat," she said more firmly.

His face twitched, and she felt his arm shift on her back. A low grumble reverberated through his chest before he stilled again.

She exhaled a quiet huff through her nose, then took a deep breath. With all the force of her lungs, she blew a puff of air straight into the crook of his neck.

Chat's eyes shot open as he flinched away from the sudden attack, blearily looking around to find what caused it. His arm tightened around her before his gaze dropped down to see what was in his arms. Marinette could tell the exact moment his mind comprehended their position. His eyes widened, and to her surprise, a light pink dusted his cheeks, something she'd never seen on him before.

She gave him a sheepish smile, her cheeks matching his. "We fell asleep, Chat."

He swallowed thickly, staring at her for a couple beats before he realized his arm was still wrapped firmly around her shoulders, holding her flush against him. He quickly retracted it, and she tried not to miss the feeling as they both began to sit up, not looking at each other.

Chat ran a hand through his messy hair, which only served to make it stand up even more. He blinked several times as he tried to clear the sleep from his eyes. Marinette busied herself with fixing her own hair. The ponytail had been pulled loose, and she had stray hairs hanging around her face. She pulled the hair tie out completely and started combing the knots from the strands.

Chat briefly turned his head in her direction before snapping away to look around the clearing. "How long have we been out?" His voice was scratchy with sleep, and he brought a hand to his throat as he cleared it.

Marinette started gathering her hair into a fresh ponytail. She nodded her head in the direction of the soon to be setting sun. "Looks like it's been a few hours. It's almost sundown."

Chat turned bewildered eyes to the sky, his mouth dropping open in disbelief. "Hours?!"

She finished wrapping the hair tie and pulled it tight before loosening some of the more uncomfortable strands pinching at her scalp. She peered at him from the corner of her eye, giving him a questioning look. "Not used to sleeping that long?"

He looked at her then, watching as she fixed her hair. He pressed his lips together. "No, I'm not."

She dropped her hands and turned to completely face him, her expression softening. "I think you needed it, though."

"Maybe," he said before rubbing his eyes, "but I feel so groggy."

"That's what happens when you actually sleep." She raised her eyebrows pointedly. "Not nap." He hummed in response, and she let out a sigh. "I'm glad you finally got some rest, but seriously, you should sleep on a bed more."

He chuckled and dropped his hands, fixing her with a sly smirk. "Maybe I should sleep next to you more."

She gaped at him, desperately trying to squash the flutter in her stomach. Despite how flirtatious the comment sounded, this was Chat. She had to remind herself of that. He was joking with her. It was just part of their banter. Ha. Ha. So funny.

Marinette clamped her mouth shut and shrugged a shoulder as if to brush him off. "I don't know, maybe if you didn't snore so much."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I do not snore!"

"How would you know?"

They squabbled about it as they got to their feet and gathered their discarded dishes, packing them back into the basket. Now on his feet, Chat was waking up more, and soon he was chattering incessantly as they walked back to the Compound, filled with an incredible amount of energy from his hours of rest.

As they approached the kitchen, they caught sight of Nino on the path up ahead. His eyebrows shot to his hairline as he got closer, glancing between them and the basket clutched in Chat's hand. "Coming back from a picnic?" he asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"You could say that," Chat responded nonchalantly. He wiggled his eyebrows at Nino. "On your way to visit someone, purr-haps?"

Nino feigned a look of incredulity. "Me? No, of course not. I was just…" he faltered as he tried to come up with an excuse, and Marinette raised her eyebrows fondly. She didn't know much about the relationship between Nino and Alya, but from what little she had seen, she found them quite endearing.

Marinette opted to save Nino from answering. "Well whatever you were doing, is it urgent? I haven't seen Alya in a while, so maybe you could come see her with us."

Nino's face lit up. "Sure! Won't hurt to pop in and say hi."

Marinette beamed. "Perfect!" She took the basket from Chat before walking towards the kitchen door. "Just give me one second."

As she made her way through the doorway, she heard Chat's voice behind her. "And if you wanna say more than hi, feel free to tell us to step out."

There was the sound of a light thud as Nino slapped his shoulder. "You're one to talk, Catboy. Nice bedhead, by the way."

Chat's response was drowned out as Marinette quickly shut the door behind her, cheeks burning with embarrassment.


Alya was ecstatic to see the three of them on her doorstep, and she wrapped Marinette in a tight hug the second she set foot inside the small house. Similarly, as Chat made his way past them, he was instantly bowled over by two small girls who seemed to appear out of thin air. He managed not to fall down this time, instead catching himself before performing the most ridiculous waddle over to the couch as they clung to his legs.

Marinette pulled away from the hug, and Alya's eyes dropped down to her outfit. She gasped. "You're wearing the tank top!"

Marinette grinned. "I'm finally able to now."

Alya gaped at her. She leaned in and lowered her voice, but not by much. "Girl, you look hot!"

Marinette did her best to resist the flush spreading on her cheeks. "Alya!" Her eyes flickered to Chat for a split second, but it appeared as though he didn't hear them.

Alya's eyes darted after Marinette's before a curious smile formed on her lips. Before she could say anything, Marinette grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards Nino. Alya gave her one last look before she gave him a proper greeting.

Marinette made her way towards the couch, where the twins were piled on top of Chat. She plopped down next to him while two identical faces fought to be in front of his, their voices overlapping each other in an unintelligible ramble.

Chat held up his hands in a placating manner. "Shh, one at a time."

Both girls stopped talking, but then all at once their chatters started again as they fought to get their voices heard. Chat sighed, a fond expression on his face as he nodded along, pretending to listen to them.

Marinette's face was no different as she observed the scene. "They really like you, huh?"

Two heads turned to look in her direction, noticing her for the first time. For a moment they stared as they tried to place her familiar face. Then, their faces lit up as they gasped. "Wait! You're M-"

Marinette's eyes blew wide. "Ladybug!" she rushed to interrupt. "My name is Ladybug now!" She wasn't sure what compelled her to stop the twins from saying her name; the only one in the room who didn't know it was Chat. Maybe it was because she didn't know his name, or maybe he had been referring to her as Ladybug, or M'Lady, for so long that it felt weird to reveal it to him now.

Chat fixed her with a curious look. "Wait, do they know your name?"

She didn't have to answer as Ella and Etta nodded furiously. "You don't?" Ella said. Chat blinked at them before shaking his head, and both girls began giggling. "We know something you don't!" they sang, and he gave a mock frown.

Marinette tilted her head as she considered him. "You know what, I'll tell you my name," she said, and his face perked up with interest, "but only if you tell me yours."

His expression dropped as the frown returned. Then, he leaned towards the twins, his voice dropped conspiratorially. "Tell me her name."

Ella and Etta vehemently shook their heads. "It's a secret!" they chorused, and Marinette felt pleased that they took her side against Chat.

He sighed in disappointment, and Marinette shrugged her shoulders. "Your rules, Kitty."

Two loud gasps interrupted whatever response he was preparing as the twins shrieked, "Kitty!"

Chat turned reprimanding eyes to her. "Look what you've done."

Marinette stifled a laugh with her hand. "Whoops," she said, completely unapologetic.

The space inside the house was cramped with six people inside, so Alya suggested they relocate. "How about we have a bonfire? There's a firepit out behind the stables. Maybe Maman will let us cook something."

Nino's face lit up. "And I could go get my guitar!"

Marinette was surprised. "You play guitar?" When she was young, she remembered seeing stands selling instruments and the occasional live performance at the market, but in the following years, musicians were hard to come by. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she heard any music besides singing.

"Sure do," Nino said, his thumb pointed towards his chest with pride.

Chat bumped his shoulder against hers. "He's actually not that bad." The twins nodded in agreement.

They all made their way out of the small house. Chat had a twin attached to each leg, and Alya decided it was time to give him a chance to breathe. She unleashed the twins to go find their mom in the kitchen, and they took off at full speed down the path. Although Chat looked slightly relieved to have access to his limbs again, he watched after them with a small smile.

While Nino went to grab his guitar from his tent, Alya led Marinette and Chat to the crop fields, where they came across a small path that led to the stables. There were few farmers still tending to the field at this hour, but the people that they did see waved as they passed. They spotted Alya's father up ahead exiting through a large barn door on the side of the enormous building. As they got closer, Marinette could make out the figure of a horse in a stall just inside the entrance.

"Look who we have here," Alya's father said, walking to meet them in the middle. The dirt path had opened up to an area surrounding the entrance to the stables, and Marinette noticed that the whole perimeter of the building, sans the side entrance, was surrounded by fenced-in grassland. Certain parts were sectioned off, most likely to allow the different animals their own spaces to roam around outside.

"Hey Papa, how was work today?"

Alya's father -Marinette recalled his name was Otis- shrugged. "It was okay. Plagg was getting restless today. You should take him for a ride soon, Chat Noir."

"I know, it's long overdue. I'll come back in the morning to take him."

Marinette fixed her eyes on Chat. "You have a horse?"

He grinned and nodded. "Do you wanna meet him?"

Chat led her through the barn door, and inside there were stalls lining their left and their right. Each horse was unique, and Marinette's eyes lingered on them as they passed. She looked a couple stalls ahead and instantly knew which horse was his. Inside was a beautiful black stallion with his head leaned out over the stall door, watching them as they approached. Chat held out his hand to him, and the horse pushed his snout into Chat's palm.

"Meet Plagg," Chat said as he stroked the horse's nose. "He used to be on the royal guard."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but we got him out of there." Chat looked at his horse fondly, but then he fixed her with a questioning look. "Have you ever met a horse before?"

She shook her head. "Not formally." She was hesitant to touch Plagg as she was afraid of spooking him, but Chat decided to help her out.

He glanced down at her hand. "Here," he said, taking her wrist and bringing it up to Plagg's face. "Now just pet him like this." Chat had his hand on top of hers, guiding it over Plagg's fur. It was smooth, and Plagg bucked his nose into her hand, eliciting a giggle from her.

"He's friendly," she mused, feeling confident enough to bring her other hand up to pet him. He nuzzled further into her hands. "What a sweetheart."

Chat let out a dry laugh. "Don't let him fool you. He can be a little shit sometimes."

Plagg let out a snort, and Marinette raised her eyebrows at Chat. "I don't think he appreciated that."

Chat shook his head. "There was one time Otis had set aside some pales of milk to make into cheese, and this guy would not stop trying to dunk his face in them."

Marinette laughed. "So what if he's a little mischievous? Sounds like he's perfect for you."

"Ha ha."

They said their goodbyes to Plagg and exited the stables. Alya and her father were building a bonfire far past the perimeter fence, almost near the edge of the woods. Marinette and Chat joined them, and in no time Nino arrived with his guitar. Marlena and the twins came soon after with a frying pan and a small basket, from which Marlena pulled a bowl containing some sort of meat.

Chat sized up the bowl. "What do we have here?"

"Bacon!" The twins cheered.

Marinette caught sight of a couple of pigs nearby, fenced into their pigpen. Chat followed her gaze. "This feels immoral," she said.

"You mean i-boar-al?"

She gave him a deadpan look. "That was a stretch."

He waved her off. "Don't be a stick in the mud."

There were four logs around the now growing flame of the bonfire, and while Marlena set up the pan to cook over the fire, everyone else took their seats. Marinette sat down one log over from Alya and Nino, while the twins begged Chat to sit with them across the fire from her.

"There's not enough room," he said before sitting down next to Marinette. Right next to her, as in his leg and shoulder were lightly pressed against hers. The logs were actually quite spacious, so this immediately struck her as intentional.

Marinette schooled her expression, acting as if it was completely normal, until she caught Alya's eye. The other girl watched them curiously, raising her eyebrows in a question as she pointedly looked at Chat and then back to Marinette.

Marinette averted her gaze and cleared her throat. "So Nino, let's hear some of those guitar skills."

In Nino's hands was an ornate, amber-colored guitar that looked like it had seen better days, but he cradled it like it was the most precious thing on Earth. "What kind of music are we thinking?" he said as he began tuning the instrument.

"Something relaxing," Alya said.

Nino tested the strings to make sure they were all in tune before strumming the guitar. He tried out a few chords before they morphed into a song. It started soft as he got used to the motions, but eventually he confidently played a slow, but light-hearted tune.

Everyone was silent as they listened, and Marinette let her gaze drop to the fire, appreciating the lulling sound of the music. It was accompanied by the sizzling of bacon on the frying pan, and she could feel the pleasant combination of sounds relaxing her mind. She hadn't heard music like this in years. She closed her eyes, her mind unconsciously conjuring up a memory.

Adrien held the box out, lid off. Marinette couldn't help but gasp quietly at how much more gorgeous the earrings were up close.

She took the earrings, speechless. She stared at her best friend for a moment, trying to think of something to say that would convey how thankful she was. She surprised him by pulling him into a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He froze for a moment before reciprocating it in full. A soft smile tugged at his lips. "Anything for you, Princess."

Marinette wanted to try them on as soon as possible, so she pulled one from the box and blindly reached for her earlobe. She got stuck trying to put the back on the earring, so Adrien helped her out. Once both earrings were secure, he leaned back and admired them, brushing back a bit of her hair to let the light shine through the intricate dimensions of the jewels.

"You look beautiful," he said earnestly, and Marinette beamed.

They continued to wander through the aisles of the market before they noticed an open area up ahead. Benches were set out before a makeshift stage, where two musicians appeared to be preparing for a performance. One held a guitar, and the other held a flute.

Marinette's eyes lit up. It was rare to come across musical performances in the market. "We have to stay for this!"

They took seats in the very front row. In no time, more and more people joined to sit on the benches, and it was growing cramped very fast. Marinette and Adrien had to scooch close together to make room for others on the bench, causing Adrien's oversized hat to jab into the side of Marinette's head. She reached over and adjusted the rim so it was above her head.

"Now it's crooked," Adrien said as he tried to find the best placement for his hat. The guitarist began playing the first few chords of the song. Marinette, not wanting to miss a second, quickly straightened Adrien's hat again and ducked to lay her head down on his shoulder.

"There," she said as she gave all of her attention to the performance.

Adrien was a bit stiff at first, but as the song progressed, he relaxed and got lost in the music with her. About halfway through the song, Marinette glanced down at Adrien's hand resting on his thigh. His fingers alternated pressing down, as if he was playing along with the song. She made a mental note to ask him if he played any instruments.

On the stage, the musicians moved in rhythm with the song, the notes traveling up and down, the music swelling and subsiding. Marinette's eyes slipped closed, allowing her other senses to heighten. The guitar fell into a solo, and her ears were soothed by the melody. Her face and side were comforted by the warmth of Adrien's shoulder, and her nostrils were filled with the sharp smell of smoke…

Smoke?

Marinette opened her eyes and was met with the sight of the bonfire, the flame glowing brighter as the sun descended behind the trees. The bacon was no longer sizzling over the fire, and Marlena, Otis, and the twins were busy making plates for everyone. Her eyes drifted over to Alya and Nino. The music was still playing, and Nino kept his eyes on his fingers as he strummed the guitar.

Alya had her chin on Nino's shoulder, but her gaze was fixed on Marinette. Once they locked eyes, Alya raised an eyebrow. It was then that Marinette realized the warmth beneath her cheek wasn't a remnant of her memory. It was there because her head was resting on Chat's shoulder.

Marinette's first instinct was to jerk upright, but instead she froze. Alya had already seen her, so there was no mending this situation by jumping away. Besides, who knows how long she'd been laying there? She was actually quite comfortable, and she could feel that Chat was leaning into her too.

But God, Alya's eyes could burn a hole through her head.

She was saved by Marlena passing out the plates of bacon. She gently raised her head up, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chat look over at her.

Marlena approached them with two plates and handed them over. "Thank you," Marinette said as she took hers, and Chat did the same.

The music stopped for a little while as they ate their food, but with the twins there, it was never silent. They ran in circles around the fire, and Marinette quickly learned that the two of them were sneaky little thieves. More than once she caught a small hand creeping towards her plate, and when she jerked it away and looked over at the perpetrator, the twin giggled and ran off.

Chat unfortunately lost a piece of his bacon to their shenanigans, so to make up for it, he snagged one as the two were busy arguing over whose plate was whose.

By the time everyone was done eating, the sun had completely set, leaving the bonfire the only source of light to illuminate their faces. Nino played around with a few songs before easing into a ballad. The twins were discontent with the slow music, but Nino promised that he'd spice it up after he was done. However, by the end of the tune, the two girls were leaned up against each other as they nodded off.

Alya bumped her shoulder into Nino, an astounded look on her face. "Are you kidding me? I've been fighting to get them to sleep every night and this is all it takes?"

"Hey Nino," Otis said. "Would you play that song again?"

"Sure." The ballad started up again, and Otis stood up. He offered his hand to Marlena, who was seated next to him. "How about a dance, my love?"

Marlena, who Marinette always saw as firm and stoic, smiled warmly. She took her husband's hand, and the two of them walked behind the circle of logs to begin their dance.

Marinette watched them fondly, instantly reminded of her parents, who loved to dance in the kitchen. They always looked so happy and in love, and she could see that on Marlena and Otis.

Chat watched them too before his gaze traveled to her. She felt him nudge her with his shoulder, drawing her attention away from the happy couple. He offered his hand in a silent question. "M'Lady?"

Marinette's heartbeat picked up, and she glanced down at his gloved hand. There wasn't a thought in her mind as she placed her hand in his, and a smile crept across her lips as she looked up at him.

His expression matched hers, and he stood before helping her do the same. Chat held her hand gently as he led her to the open space behind the log. Once they were standing face to face, all of her thoughts came back to her mind at full force.

She had never danced with anyone before, so she had no clue what she was supposed to do. The best idea she had was from observations of her parents. Maybe she could try to copy them? But what if Chat had a different style of dancing? What if she steps on his toes? Alya was most definitely watching, and the holes in the side of her head were burning deeper than ever.

If Chat sensed her hesitancy, he didn't show it. He stepped closer, raising their already joined hands to the side before grabbing her other wrist and placing it on his shoulder. He rested his free hand on her waist, and suddenly Marinette was confronted with how much taller he was than her.

She really, really hoped her face wasn't as red as she thought it was.

They started a gentle sway, and Marinette wouldn't look anywhere but at Chat's face. He still had that soft smile as he looked down at her, and the longer they stayed like that, the more comfortable and relaxed she became.

The music picked up a little, and Chat decided to change up the dance. They started turning in a circle, their sways becoming steps off to the side. Marinette did her best to follow his lead, and she found herself able to keep up with him. Her smile morphed into a grin as she lost herself in the dance, her eyes never breaking away from his.

She felt him raise their entwined hands, and she went straight into a twirl. She completed one spin before he led her into a half spin, pulling her back against his chest with her hand held against her opposite shoulder. Then he lightly pulled, and she spun outwards until they were at an arm's length of each other. A laugh escaped her as he pulled her back into their original stance, and she gripped his shoulder to steady herself again.

Marinette felt light as a feather. No wonder why her parents did this; she was having the time of her life. Any outside thoughts were silenced as her vision tunneled to only see the man before her. They beamed at each other as they resumed their gentle sway again.

She looked up at him with wonder. "Where did you learn to dance like that?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "I took some lessons." She felt him tap his fingers on her waist. "You're keeping up pretty well."

"I think my training helped with my reaction time. Besides, I'm just following your lead." She squeezed his hand lightly.

"I can't take all the credit. I don't know how you're not dizzy."

She was in fact dizzy, but it wasn't entirely from the spinning. "Oh, I am. That's why I've got a death grip on your shoulder right now."

He raised his eyebrows. "If that's a death grip, we definitely should have focused on your forearms more." Marinette pouted in response.

The song came to an end, and the last chord rang out in the air. Their swaying slowed to a stop, and they both looked over at the now dying fire. Behind it, the twins were slumped against each other, sound asleep. Marlena and Otis had stopped their dance as well and were looking at their daughters fondly.

"I think it's time we put them to bed," Marlena said. She went around and gathered everyone's plates while Otis gently picked up his two little girls, one in each arm. Nino and Alya both stood, and Nino kicked dirt onto the fire to completely put it out.

Chat let go of Marinette's hand, and she reluctantly took her other hand off of his shoulder. He kept his hand on her waist, opting to move it to the small of her back and gently guide her towards where the group was now walking back to the Compound. Marinette felt disappointed that the night was now coming to an end, but she refused to let the joy from dancing with Chat to subside.

Nino fell in step next to Chat, and they began talking about Nino's new troop in the South. Marinette fell behind them to walk with Alya, but she instantly regretted it as Alya was staring her down, a million questions evident on her face.

Marinette sent her a fleeting glance, feeling unnerved. They walked in silence for only a few moments before Alya couldn't contain herself anymore. She grabbed Marinette's wrist, stopping her in her tracks and turning her so they were facing each other. Chat instantly noticed this and looked over his shoulder. Nino did the same.

"You guys go on. We'll catch up," Alya said, and Chat raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything okay?" he asked as he looked between them.

"Yup, everything's fine. I just need to talk to Ladybug for a second."

"Alright," Nino said, and he resumed walking. Chat gave Marinette one last look before he did too.

Alya watched them walk away, and the second they were out of earshot, she whirled on Marinette. "What was that?!" she said in a harsh whisper.

Marinette froze in place, mentally bracing herself for the incoming interrogation. "What was what?" she asked dumbly.

"You and Chat!" Alya was noticeably fighting to keep her voice down. "I thought you two weren't a thing!"

"We're not!" Marinette answered quickly.

Alya gave her a deadpan look. "Are you kidding me?! You were laying all over him! And don't even get me started on that dance. We all could have left and neither of you would have noticed!"

Marinette could feel herself becoming defensive. "We were just dancing! That's it!" She felt caught, but she wasn't exactly sure what she was caught doing. "Alya, Chat and I are friends. Nothing more than that."

Alya shook her head. "I'm not buying it. Nino told me why he thought you two were together. You asked him about Chat sleep talking." She pointed a finger. "How on Earth would you know that?!"

"I-'' Marinette spluttered for a response. She couldn't tell her the truth, that Chat had collapsed. At the same time though, she was guilty of what Alya was accusing her of as she had taken a nap with Chat mere hours ago. The memory of waking up in his arms cropped up in her mind, and she recalled feeling the soft rise and fall of his chest and seeing the gentle expression on his face as he slept.

No. Marinette pushed the memory from her mind and took a deep breath to steel herself. "Look, Chat and I have been training together for a long time, and we're close friends now. We're comfortable with each other, but that doesn't mean that there's anything romantic going on between us!"

Alya pursed her lips, clearly unconvinced, and Marinette cursed her friend's stubbornness. For a moment Alya was silent as she tried to find another angle to prod at. Then, she tilted her head. "Do you want anything romantic with him?"

Marinette blinked, slightly taken aback. She thought Alya would continue pressing about the nature of her relationship with Chat, which was something she could deny over and over again because they weren't a couple.

But Alya asked her a direct question about her feelings towards Chat, and Marinette… didn't know.

She never pictured herself ever getting involved with someone. Most girls her age grew up dreaming about their perfect man and their perfect wedding, and they had crushes on the boys in their neighborhood. Marinette never had that experience. She didn't have any friends her age besides Adrien, and they were too young for there to be any kind of romantic elements to their friendship. Regardless, her bond with him was deep and special, and after he was gone, she never felt the urge to seek out anyone else.

Her connection with Chat was unforeseen, and it happened gradually and effortlessly. Their friendship had its rocky points, but they dealt with each challenge and came out of it stronger. They became closer and trusted each other, and they even started setting time aside for just the two of them. No training, no work, just enjoying each other's company.

They bantered and teased each other, but they also showed concern for the other's well-being. They never ran out of things to talk about, and they were almost always smiling at each other. Recently, they became comfortable holding hands, leaning on one another, hugging, dancing, cuddling as they slept…

Marinette often found herself staring at him when he wasn't looking. She looked forward to every opportunity to see him, and she felt bored when he wasn't around. She felt nervous and warm when he touched her.

Most of all, she felt drawn to him.

Whenever he was in the vicinity, she was hyper-aware of his presence, and like a magnet, she felt pulled to interact with him. When their banter got a little too heated, their faces would end up inches apart. When it was time for them to part ways, she could feel his absence, and he would continue to cross her mind until she saw him again.

Friends… did that, right?

Marinette stared blankly at Alya, her face emotionless but her mind swirling with thoughts of Chat, picking apart and analyzing every interaction and every feeling she ever had around him.

Did she want anything romantic with him?

She found the words leaving her lips automatically. "We're just friends."

Alya looked frustrated, but then she let out a sigh. She considered Marinette for a moment before she shook her head. "I don't think you're lying to me. I think you're lying to yourself."

Marinette didn't respond, and Alya finally dropped the topic. They began walking back to the Compound, but Alya's words would not stop ringing in Marinette's ears. Part of her was questioning everything, wondering if she was being ignorant to something that had been growing between her and Chat in the last few weeks. Another part was actively trying to shut this down, closing off any thoughts of her and Chat in that way. Her mind was pulling itself in two directions, and it was disorienting.

They found Chat and Nino waiting for them outside of Alya's house, and Marinette willed her thoughts to quiet down. Marinette and Chat said their goodbyes to Alya and Nino before starting down the path towards the North.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, but she could feel Chat's eyes on her. He finally cleared his throat. "So what did Alya need to talk to you about?"

Marinette froze. She looked over at him. "Uh," she said, biting her lip as her mind scrambled for a lie. "It was just… she wanted an update on how my test went."

They veered off the path and into the tents. "Did Nino not fill her in?"

"He did, but she wanted my perspective." She focused her gaze on the grass, hoping he didn't pry any further. Chat didn't respond, and when they reached her tent, he held open the slit in the canvas and waved for her to go inside.

As she passed him, she heard him say, "You're a terrible liar, you know."

Her blood ran cold, and she whipped around. "What?" He ducked into the tent before stopping to stand before her, his arms crossed.

He leaned forward. "You're a terrible liar." He spoke slowly and clearly, that stupid smirk of his growing the longer she stood dumbstruck.

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. What was she supposed to say? Alya actually wanted to interrogate me about our relationship status. No, that was not an option, but lying didn't work out so great either. She could try to double down, but if Chat saw through her the first time, she didn't think it would work if she tried again.

He sighed, deciding to give her a break. "You don't have to tell me. There's probably a reason she wanted to talk to you in private, right?"

Marinette felt an enormous relief, and she wasted no time in nodding her affirmation. She gave him an apologetic look and went through the motions of zipping her lips shut. "Sorry Kitty, my lips are sealed."

He followed her movements with his eyes before they snapped back up to hers. Chat seemed to consider saying something else, but instead he quietly exhaled through his nose.

Marinette could feel it coming. It was time for them to part ways, and despite the fact that they had spent the entire day together, it felt like they were cutting it short. She clasped her hands in front of her and fidgeted with her fingers, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "So… I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Chat's eyes dropped to look past her shoulder. "Yeah." He brought a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her a smile before turning to walk away, and Marinette felt that magnet pull in her abdomen. She didn't want him to go. Why did she do that?! Why didn't she come up with something else to say? Something to keep him here? She couldn't help but feel like this was an unsatisfactory end to a perfect day.

But what was she expecting to happen? Chat was just a friend…

She didn't get a chance to think about it anymore, because Chat stopped short. She watched as he turned to face her again, his expression unreadable. She waited in anticipation as he stared at her, and then he spoke. "I had a great time with you today," he said earnestly, his voice soft. Then, he chuckled. "All day today."

A smile spread across her face, her heart feeling warm. "So did I, Chat." She took a small step forward. "The time went by fast, didn't it?"

He mirrored her, stepping forward too. "Yeah, it did," a playful glint sparked in his eyes, "but I don't know how you put up with me for that long."

Marinette pressed her lips together, but then she shrugged her shoulders. "It's not that hard." The next part was a fleeting thought, but it came out of her mouth regardless. "But I can't think of a better way to spend my time."

He gave her a lopsided smile, tilting his head at her in that adorable way that never failed to make her heart flutter. "Me neither."

She said nothing, her eyes fixed on his. They held each other's gaze for just a little too long, enough for both of them to pick up on it. Their smiles slowly faded from their faces, but neither of them moved to break eye contact. Instead, Marinette vaguely registered him stepping closer. Or was she? Her heart began to pound as her nerves sprung to life.

His head was tilted down to look at her, their faces inches now apart. Marinette couldn't form a coherent thought; she was entranced by him. Just like earlier today, she was close enough to see every freckle and every crevice on his skin, except this time he was awake and staring right back at her. She parted her lips, and his gaze flicked down to them. Her breath caught in her throat, and she allowed herself to look down at his too. They caught each other's gaze again, and they were locked in that moment. She looked between his veiled eyes as it stretched on and on and on…

Until it passed.

Chat let out a soft sigh. He turned his head and leaned to place a gentle kiss on her cheek before grabbing her hand. He bent down and placed another kiss on her knuckles, rubbing his thumb over the spot as he straightened again.

"Have a good night, M'Lady," he said in a quiet voice, his eyes boring into hers.

She matched his tone. "Goodnight, Chat."

He gave her one last lingering look before squeezing her hand and pulling away. She watched him turn and duck through the canvas, disappearing into the night. Marinette was rooted to the spot, and she wasn't aware that she had been holding her breath until her lungs expanded again, inhaling the crisp smell of the forest.

After who knows how long, she somehow ended up on the edge of her bed. Her eyes slipped closed, and instantly, Chat's face flashed across her mind. Her cheek tingled where his lips had just been, and she unconsciously brought a hand up to touch the spot as she replayed that moment over and over again.

Do you want anything romantic with him? Alya's words played in her mind, and she covered her face with both of her hands.

I don't think you're lying to me. I think you're lying to yourself.

She was right. All of the signs were there, and there was no denying it anymore.

She was falling for Chat Noir.


The next chapter is called "Guilt"