14. So Close

The gentle patter of dying raindrops trickling down the glass of her windows would have done wonders to lull Marinette asleep provided an ounce of sleepiness still lingered within her body.

After sleeping all through the third day in a row, she felt restless, like a bug trapped within a vacant terrarium without any chance of escape. Her toes twitched, her fingers curled around wrinkled blanket, and her eyes burned from the sheer amount of hours of sleep she'd gotten that night—day, whatever.

At least the headaches had become scarce. They weren't as nauseating or uncomfortable as the ones from the days before, but still appeared every now and then as an annoying reminder that she was still healing from an unfortunate concussion.

Her dislike for cats was at least a little justified.

Now, feeling mostly recovered from her injury, Marinette had long since rejected any attempt to sleep and stood by her dress form, sewing the remaining spots into the scarlet fabric of her Ladybug shawl. It was a task that required little to no thinking, something of which she could slip into and relax easily; sewing had always been a comfort to her, settling her nerves and relieving any sort of tension.

The fact that it was past eleven didn't make much of a difference to her. She'd slept all day—why sleep some more?

She did have school tomorrow, yes, and she was feeling up to returning… But there was no use in trying to sleep if she wasn't tired!

A crack of thunder and a bright white flash of lightning from outside her window startled Marinette enough to prick her finger with the needle and cause her hand to recoil back against her chest protectively. Cursing, she stuck her finger in her mouth to alleviate the pain, but quickly spat it out when her tongue was met with the metallic taste of blood. The last time she'd accidentally stabbed herself had been Chat Noir's latest visit.

Perhaps his bad luck was rubbing off on her.

"Blegh," She hissed under her breath as she searched for the box of bandaids she kept within her vanity drawer (for the exact same reason why she was looking for them.) Once bandaged, she returned to her design, trailing her fingers along the wonderfully soft fabric and examining her work. Every stitch was perfect, and the shawl was nearly finished—Marinette felt proud of herself. In her opinion, it was some of her best work yet, although it was taking longer than she would have liked.

At least winter was months away.

She was just about to give herself a pat on the back when a knocking on glass nearly caused her to poke herself with the needle a second time. Eyebrows raised curiously, she spun around on her heels, head cocking as if she hadn't quite heard right; had that been a knock or was she simply hearing things?

Maybe she was only hearing what she wanted to hear.

Just as she shrugged it off and returned to her work, a second knock came, more desperate and quicker than the last. Marinette pressed a hand to her chin in thought as she walked to the window beside her desk, not at all surprised to find acid green eyes burning into her own blue once she'd lifted the blinds.

Chat Noir, looking very much like a lost little kitten, stood perched outside her window instead of his usual spot on the terrace, his somber expression a silent plea to be granted permission inside the warmth of her room.

Marinette frowned at the sight of her doused partner. He looked off, something about him was just…

Sad.

Broken.

Who knew what he was doing out in weather like this, skin soaked and blond hair drooping in his face. She couldn't just leave him out there in the rain, even if he'd cause a puddle to appear on her wooden floor from his wet suit…

Marinette sighed. She was a good person. She would not ignore her friend—her partner—looking as if he'd just had his heart smashed into tiny little pieces, especially in the rain!

She'd let him in, she decided. It was becoming a frequent occurrence, after all—Chat Noir visiting in the late hours of the night like a typical stray.

Except this particular stray happened to be a sopping mess of pathetic-looking teenager.

Marinette felt for him, although she wasn't entirely sure why.

Upon opening the window, Chat scurried inside, shaking his head free of the heavy rainwater as if he was a cat that had just been thrown into a pool. Marinette stepped back as he (messily) dried himself, frowning at the droplets of water that sprayed upon her skin and clothing. She'd already showered that night; did Chat Noir really need to give her another?

She nearly blushed at how awkward that sounded.

"I'm sorry," Chat Noir began, black ears drooping flat against his dribbling blond locks. "I know it's late and I'm soaked but I'm-"

"Are you okay?" She asked, hesitantly reaching out a hand before pulling back and letting her arm rest at her side. By the look on his face, she knew there was no point in asking a question with such an obvious response. The answer was staring directly at her in the form of dull green eyes and lips tugged downwards into a pitiful frown. He needn't reply.

But, he did anyways. "I'm fine," He responded, his voice quiet and cracked like a crisp leaf in autumn. "Just came to check up on you."

"Check on me?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why?"

Even Chat Noir seemed unsure of why exactly he had travelled all the way through the rain to her home.

"Well, uh…" He scratched at the back of his neck—a familiar nervous habit that Marinette could have sworn she'd seen somewhere else before. "Monday, when I saved you, you were hurt. You hit your head, right?"

Marinette recalled that she had assured him she was fine. "I'm okay. How did you know I hit my head?"

"Uh- ...word gets around." He seemed to falter slightly, his shoulders drooping and gaze falling downcast as if he was a little too nervous to answer her question directly. "Are you sure you're okay? I just want to-"

"Chat…" Marinette eyed him with sympathy. After a year of partnership and friendship along with countless hours of teamwork, she had learned his mannerisms and expressions so well that she could easily see right through him. Chat Noir was never much of a talented liar. "Is that really the reason you came here?"

He hesitated, green eyes flicking upwards to meet blue before they shifted. "Yes and no."

Marinette sighed. "Let me get you a towel."

"Thanks."

In a quick descent to her bathroom, she grabbed one of her pink bath towels and brought it up to the dripping cat with a friendly smile. Something was off about her partner, something Marinette could tell he was trying to hide; she could see the pool of sadness taking shelter within his eyes and the way his ears drooped held no secrets. Chat Noir was hurting, as simple as that.

The only reason Marinette knew for sure was the familiarity of seeing that same exact somber expression upon Adrien's features. Dull green eyes, mouth curved downwards just slightly in a frown that he was trying too hard to fix, and a voice so soft, so broken were all signs that her partner wasn't having too great of a day.

She couldn't help but wonder what his home life was like.

Chat ruffled his hair with the towel before attempting to dry the suit, his disgruntled expression making it clear that scrubbing himself was to no avail. Marinette stifled the giggles that rose in her throat.

"I really didn't think this through," Chat laughed, faint and soft. "Watch me catch a cold and be too sick to protect Paris."

Marinette knew a thing or two about being stuck in bed and unable to fight for Paris. She'd been lucky enough that there hadn't been any akuma attacks while she was bedridden.

If Hawk Moth was smart, he would've taken that to his advantage.

"Well, we can't have that," She said with a smile as she tapped her chin in thought. She recalled her past experiences dealing with akuma in the rain; water couldn't permeate the suits, but the thin fabric did nothing to relieve how chilly it felt against skin. Detransforming usually rid the uncomfortable wetness and left her in dry clothing, but Chat couldn't do that in her room.

Blankets would have to do the trick.

Chat seemed to notice her examining him, his head drooping in apology. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you or-"

"You're not bothering me," Marinette assured him, placing a hand upon his wet shoulder. She frowned as she felt him shiver from the cold. Chat Noir, obviously in distress, had travelled all the way through the rain to visit her for a reason she wasn't entirely sure of. What would cause one of Paris' superheroes to visit her during a storm? "Do you want me to get you a blanket?"

"A blanket?" He seemed to consider the thought before giving a slight nod. "Okay, sure."

"Stay here."

There was a closet downstairs that held blankets and sheets within it which Marinette found full of different colors of fabric. Taking a white comforter, Marinette tugged, finding it to be stuck between other sheets on the shelf. She grunted, giving a final pull before it gave way easier than she had anticipated, sending her to tumble backwards onto the floor.

At least she hadn't hit her head.

A few other sheets and blankets had fallen out from her aggressive pulling. Once replacing them back on their designated shelves, she dragged the white comforter upstairs and (nearly tripping on her ascent) handed it off to the shivering feline who stood in the middle of her bedroom.

Chat Noir wasted no time in covering himself. Blanket wrapped around him like a lifeline, he sat on her floor, taking refuge within the warmth the comforter brought him. Nothing but his face poked out from the shield of toasty cover, save for a lone ear flicking underneath. Marinette eyed him with a smile, watching as he practically buried his face within the fabric, and-

Smelled it?

He had!

He inhaled, a smile gracing his face before the breath slowly passed his lips, his shoulders slumping as he very obviously relaxed. Relaxed to the point where he was nearly laying on her floor.

"Chat Noir?" Marinette giggled. "Are you okay?"

"I am now," He sighed, opening an eye to shoot her a grateful grin. "I feel better."

Her lips broke into a smile of her own. "Are you going to tell me why you came over now?"

Regret filled every fiber in her body the moment the words fell from her mouth. Chat stiffened, his smile faltering before it disappeared completely. Shoulders slouched and head hung low, he sighed, turning his gaze from her to the floor and keeping it there. The one ear that poked out of the blanket drooped until it lay flat against his head.

For whatever reason, asking him that question caused the sadness rooted within him to rear its ugly head just as it had gone away.

Marinette wanted to apologize, but before she could part her lips to speak, Chat's own hollow voice beat her to it.

"Do you want me to be honest?"

Hesitantly, she nodded.

Chat sighed, slouching deeper into the blanket. "I kind of received some bad news today."

Marinette felt her heart skip a beat. Bad news? What kind of news could possibly be plaguing Chat enough to cause him to scamper off in the rain?

"Bad news?" She inquired, tilting her head in an attempt to catch his gaze. He didn't look up. "Like what?"

"I can't really say," He continued, shrugging his shoulders. "I haven't told Ladybug yet. I was planning to tomorrow on our patrol, if she shows."

News bad enough that Ladybug needed to hear?

Mon dieu.

"Wow," She breathed, swallowing the waver in her voice. "Um, it must… Must be pretty serious, then."

Chat gave a noncommittal nod. "It's, uh… I haven't… I'm kind of…"

"You're…?"

Another sigh slipped past his lips, followed by a quick glance her way before he shook his head and forced a smile to his face. "Ah, it's nothing. I won't worry you. It's not a big deal."

Marinette nearly huffed. You can't just say you've got bad news and then not tell me, Chat Noir!

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, neither sure what to do or say after Chat's mention of "news." Marinette worried at her bottom lip as her mind fumbled to just forget about it, forget about it, don't worry about it!

Whatever it was, she'd hear about it tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

"Hey," Marinette began, giving them both a way out of the awkward quiet. "I'm kind of hungry. What about you?"

It was true—because of her frequent sleeping, she'd barely eaten for the past three days and her stomach was begging for something to fill it now that she'd finally awakened.

Chat's head snapped up, his ears perked and alert from the mention of food. Marinette grinned at the way his face brightened. Of course he'd be excited over food, the guy looked like he rarely ate at all. Chat Noir was too skinny, bordering unhealthy—his suit did nothing to hide his thin figure. She knew his ribs would be apparent provided he took off his shirt.

Something she knew she'd never even dream to see.

"Uh," His expression fell as he spoke. Something unreadable flickered behind his gaze. "Actually…" Velvety ears lay flat against his head as his eyes wandered to the floor once more. "...No."

Marinette blinked in surprise, almost taken aback by his response. He'd just become so excited at the mention of food, and now he was declining her offer? Since when did Chat Noir refuse food?

"Chat Noir…" She tilted her head to the side, her voice taking on a delicate tone. "You don't have to lie. You know I don't mind giving you something to eat."

A sad laugh left his lips. "I know."

"You're really not hungry?"

He shook his head, refusing to meet her eyes with his own. "No."

Marinette wasn't convinced.

He was lying, she could see it as plain as day! Chat Noir never lied well, and she knew, she knew he wasn't telling the truth. Chat was avoiding her offer of food and she felt she knew exactly why.

"You need to eat, Chat Noir," She responded, almost giving herself away by reminding him of how he'd passed out on her balcony the last time he hadn't eaten enough. "Why don't you want to?"

"It's personal."

She nearly flinched at the sudden cold tone. "Personal?"

Acid green turned her direction, his lips tugged downwards in a frown that asked her to drop the subject. He was pleading with his gaze, begging her to quit, but if there was one thing Marinette had never considered herself as, it was a quitter.

"I'm just a little concerned," She continued, "it's okay for you to eat something. You need food just like every other person does. It's not safe to avoid it. You're really s-"

"I know," He grunted, his voice taking on a hint of annoyance. "I'm so skinny. It's not like I haven't heard that millions of times. Please let it be, Marinette. I don't want to talk about it. Can we just drop it?"

Marinette sighed, looking away to shield the pang she felt within her chest. She only wanted to help—why couldn't he see that? There was no reason for him to be acting so rudely.

"Well," She went on, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It's not healthy for you to starve-"

"You know," He successfully cut her off with a grit of his teeth. "If I'd have known that we would of been talking about my health when I came over, I think I would have just stayed home."

Marinette took a step back at the way he spoke and placed her hands upon her hips, blinking incredulously. Well, somebody's in a bad mood. If he was going to be feisty, then fine, be that way. She knew she had a mouth of her own when it was necessary.

"You can leave at any time, Chat Noir," She spat back, crossing her arms across her chest. "It's not like I invited you here."

He growled, clearly becoming irritated. "I came because I wanted to see you, not to talk about what's healthy for me and what isn't."

"Excuse me for being concerned."

"It's none of your business."

Marinette gaped, her arms dropping to her sides. "I was only trying to help!"

"Well, I don't want your help!" His fiery green gaze snapped to hers and the chilling embers within his eyes burned. "I don't need you telling me what's right and what's wrong, Marinette. You're not my mother."

His words stung more than Marinette would have liked to admit. She couldn't hide the way she flinched at his tone. "Then…" She sighed, her voice losing its strength and becoming a quiet murmur. "Then you can leave. You know where the exit is."

He visibly cringed before he melted into a puddle within the comforter. Quiet and hidden, a long breath fell from his lips, his ears drooping so low that Marinette swore they would fall right off of his head. Regretfully, she felt a twinge of guilt settle within her gut; maybe she had stepped out of her place. Chat Noir had come over to simply be with her and she'd been invasive and snappy. She'd most likely made his situation ten times worse than it had originally been before he stepped inside her room.

Hell, if someone began asking her personal questions as Ladybug, she'd become incredibly defensive too.

"I'm sorry, Marinette," God, his voice sounded even more broken than it had been before. "I didn't mean… I'm sorry. I don't want to leave. I didn't mean that."

Crossing her arms, Marinette leaned back against her desk and kept her eyes glued to the floor. She wasn't mad, or annoyed or upset; mostly, she just felt bad. Chat had most likely come to her for comfort and she'd done nothing but make him sadder.

Some friend she was.

"It's just…" He continued, "I hear that a lot. It's usually meant as a compliment, but I know it shouldn't be. You're right. It isn't healthy. I'm sorry for snapping at you."

Marinette shuffled her feet on the wooden flooring.

"I understand if you want me to leave-"

"Stop that," She told him, wandering over to where he sat on the floor and taking a seat next to the mass of blanket. She'd heard enough of his sorries. "You don't need to apologize. I'm sorry for pressing."

"It's alright," His voice held nothing but sorrow. "You're only trying to make sure I'm safe."

She hummed, reaching out to lay a reassuring hand over his own. "...Are you?"

He nodded, laughing softly. "As safe as I can be as a superhero, Mari."

...Mari?

Since when did Chat Noir start calling her Mari?

That was something only Alya called her, or as a recent development, Adrien.

Marinette stiffened. "What happened to calling me princess, Chat Noir?"

"...Uh," He let out a nervous chuckle. "Mari is a cute nickname… It fits. Just thought of it now!"

"Did you?" Brow raised suspiciously, Marinette cocked her head, gazing at her partner with a grin teasing at her lips. "Well, I like it better than princess."

"You want me to stop calling you princess?"

She shrugged, fixing the blanket as it fell from his damp shoulders. "I think it's kind of stuck with me by now. You're still soaked, by the way."

"I know," He chuckled, emitting a hollow and breathy sound. "You can just throw me in the dryer."

Marinette grinned. "You wouldn't fit. You're too tall."

"I dunno," He said with a shrug, the familiar smirk she'd began to miss weaving its way onto his face. "I'm pretty flexible."

"Chat Noir," She laughed, "I'm not shoving you into a dryer."

"Darn. There go my plans for the night."

"So sorry to disappoint."

"How am I supposed to get dry now?" The grin that he wore was no longer forced, a fact that made Marinette's smile only grow. He needed some good cheering up.

"Sit and wait?" She offered, stifling a few giggles.

"Maybe I'll just undress."

A cough rose from her throat in surprise. "E-excuse me? Not in my room!"

"Too late. I'm getting naked," He stood, flashing her a teasing smirk as the blanket slipped from his shoulders to the wooden floor. "Turn around."

"Chat Noir, no."

He grasped the bell attached to his zipper and tugged.

Marinette squawked, scrabbling to a stand andturning on her heels until she was facing away from her partner with cheeks burning like red acid. "No! Not in my room!"

Laughter broke out from behind her, followed by the sound of a zipper pulling what she hoped was upwards. She knew the transformation was bound to their skin—at least, her suit was—and she had no interest in seeing a nude Chat Noir prancing around her bedroom as he dried.

She'd rather him destransform than stand naked in her presence!

Never before had she seen a boy nude and she was not about to let Chat Noir's parts be the first she'd ever laid eyes on.

(...Save for the internet, of course.)

"Relax, Marinette," Tittered the cat, "I'm just joking. Even if I wanted to, I can't take this thing off. It's attached to me."

A breath of relief fell from her lips as she turned back around. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?" His green gaze turned innocent, flicking around the room as a metaphorical halo hovered above his cat ears. "...This?"

His fingers grasped the bell once more, lowering it at an achingly slow speed to reveal a bit of smooth-looking skin. Marinette tore her eyes away before she saw more than she desired to and crossed her arms over her chest. How could a person go from earning her sympathy to being so annoying in less than two minutes?

"Do not undress in my room."

"What a shame," He sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. "And here I was thinking that we could have a party."

Marinette snorted, her eyes widening at the thought of the type of party he had in mind. "What kind of parties do you go to?"

"None whatsoever."

"Liar."

"No," He met her gaze with his own, placing a hand over his heart. "I swear, princess. This cat strays far from parties."

Chat Noir doesn't seem like the anti-social type, she thought with a disbelieving grin. With all that flirting, there's no way he stays indoors all the time.

"You don't believe me," He gasped, lowering himself to his knees and dramatically pressing a hand to his forehead. "My own princess thinks I'm a liar!"

Well… That's debatable.

"I'm not your princess," She scoffed with a grin, placing her hands upon her hips. "How do you even know if I'm single or not?"

Chat's ears perked up with interest as their eyes met.

Was that jealously flickering within his gaze?

"See? You didn't even think about it-"

"You're not single?"

"No! Well, I-I mean," She scuffed the ground with her foot. "I don't know. I've been meaning to mention something but it's not official so technically we aren't dating but I've still wanted to talk to you about sleeping in my bed even though we haven't labeled our relationship but I don't think you should-"

"Slow down."

She sighed heavily. "There's this guy I like that comes over a lot and we slept together and he saw me in my underwear!"

Chat sputtered, a cough breaking from his throat as he spoke in a strangled voice, "What!?"

"No!" Marinette squeaked, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head from how far they widened. "Not slept together- but- I mean technically- we were sleeping! Napping! Sleepover! Not… Not… Not se-"

"Oh," Laughter rose from her partner. "I see."

"Don't laugh," Marinette pouted, feeling the redness in her cheeks tingle her skin. Embarrassing herself in front of blond boys seemed to be becoming a frequent occurrence that she somehow couldn't avoid.

"Sorry." His laughter fell to a quiet chuckle as a stupidly happy grin stretched across his face. Talking about the other guy she was interested in should not make him smile that big… Why did that grin cause him to appear so proud?

"Listen," She began, rubbing at her arm awkwardly. "I've been meaning to tell you that I don't think…" She paused to sigh. "What I'm trying to say, is…"

Chat leaned back on her floor, his hands propping up his body as he cocked an ear upwards. "Yeah?"

"I…" Damn it, why is this so hard? "I don't think… I don't think you should stay the night anymore."

The reply she received was silence. A heavy silence full of disappointment and a dispirited Chat Noir. A silence that caused a bubbling feeling of apprehension to rise in her stomach.A silence that pulled at her heart and made her feel sick.

"Oh," He breathed, looking away. "Uh… Okay, yeah. I respect that. It's understandable."

Marinette felt her lips pull downward with a slight feeling of guilt from how flattened her friend appeared. "You seem sad."

Chat shook his head in response, forcing a smile to his face. "No, it's alright, Marinette."

Why did he seem so bothered? Chat Noir was a friend, nothing more. They didn't have feelings for each other. They both were in love with somebody else. Sleeping next to him had only been for the personal comfort of closeness, not because she liked it or enjoyed how soft his hair felt under her fingers or how wonderful a feeling it was to bury her face within the warmth of his neck, lips brushing across skin that smelled like home…

No! She hissed at herself. Chat is a friend. Chat is my partner. I do not feel anything besides platonic friendship towards him! He's not even that cute!

One glance at his face confirmed that she thought otherwise.

There was no way he could be upset about her requesting him not to stay the night anymore. After kissing a boy and spending hours talking to Alya about Adrien's actions and deciphering them, she was sure her crush felt the same way she did.

So… Why did she feel bad about Chat Noir?

Why did she feel bad about telling Chat he couldn't stay?

Adrien probably wouldn't be too pleased to know that the girl he'd been kissing was also inviting Parisian superhero Chat Noir into her bed for some cuddles.

Technically, they weren't dating… So it's not like she was cheating.

But it sure as hell feels like cheating.

She didn't want to hurt Adrien, but hurting Chat wasn't something she desired to do, either.

If only there was some way she could make both of them happy.

Yet why would Chat Noir be upset if he liked Ladybug? Hadn't he mentioned having feelings for another girl as well?

Unless…

No. It's not me. Can't be!

Well, technically, I am Ladybug, so...

Marinette sighed, pressing a finger to her forehead. "I'm sorry, I'd just kind of feel wrong sleeping with you when I've been kissing this other guy."

She expected a smirk at the way she worded that last sentence.

Chat Noir didn't smirk, however. He simply nodded and accepted her request like the respectable guy he'd always been. "Yeah, that's… That's for the best, right?"

"Yeah," She said softly. "For the best."

A brief moment of silence met them before Chat spoke up once more, a smile on his face that was real and true. "You like him a lot?"

Marinette didn't hesitate with her answer. "Of course."

"You think he's good for you?"

She nodded. "The best."

She could have sworn Chat's smile was growing wider.

"You think…" He paused as he brought himself to a stand. "You think he's the one?"

"The only one for me."

"You love him." It wasn't a question, but a statement she couldn't deny.

A spark coursed through her body as a gentle hand connected with her cheek. She couldn't bring herself to pull away and she didn't know why; perhaps it was the way Chat's clawed thumb lightly caressed her skin or the heat she felt rising from his palms. Whatever it was… She didn't want it to stop.

No, you don't like this. Tell him to get away. Tell him to back off.

"I… I-I love him, yes."

Tell him to stop touching you!

Her body wasn't listening to her mind.

Earth to Marinette! Red flag! He's looking at you like he wants to kiss you senseless!

Part of her didn't mind that he was gazing at her as if her lips were his only source of oxygen and he was suffocating without them.

Chat's smile was nothing but warm and content. "I'm sure he loves you too."

Blue eyes met such a delicate green that Marinette nearly gasped at how fondly her partner gazed at her. The affectionate touch of his thumb on her skin sent tiny little fireworks to explode within her chest, colorful sparks of pleasant flame that burned her in the best of ways. If she'd been paying attention to anything else but how dearly he looked at her, she would have noticed that he was leaning in, his lips approaching hers in such a slow motion that the fact that he seemed as if he was going to kiss her hadn't registered in her mind until their noses brushed. The fabric of his mask briefly grazed her skin before her mind screeched at her to stop, stop, stop right now. Brain buzzing with a thousand commands a second, she took a step back, eyes wide and cheeks pink as her feet finally obeyed.

They'd almost kissed.

If she'd hadn't of stepped away… He might've been staying another night in her bed.

"Chat Noir…" Her heart beat so powerfully against her chest that Marinette swore it would combust. "You, uh…"

"I should go," He breathed, his voice faint. Something about his posture was stiff, as if he'd realized his mistake and was regretting ever stepping foot in the bakery that night. Maybe he was. "I should go before I do something stupid."

You already have, she thought with a frown tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Uh," He stepped backwards, scratching at the back of his neck in a movement eerily similar to what she realized was a nervous habit of Adrien's. "I need to leave before I kiss you and get both of us in trouble."

Marinette could only nod, unable to conjure up any reasonable response. "G-goodnight, Chat Noir."

"Goodnight, Mari."

He left before she could fully process what occurred.

Chat Noir had leaned in with the intent on kissing her.

She should be angry, she knew. She should be hissing with rage! She should chase after him as Ladybug and tell him that kissing a girl that's technically taken is wrong! She should tell him to never come back!

Yet she wasn't doing any of that.

She stood completely immobilized by the fact that she'd been less than two inches from Chat Noir's lips. If he would have leaned in just a little quicker…

She would have smacked him!

Yes, she told herself, I would have smacked him hard in the face for overstepping my boundaries!

Although, he hadn't exactly overstepped them… It wasn't like she'd been doing a whole lot of pushing him away.

In fact, she'd been the one to constantly allow him to slip into her bedroom. He would have respected her wishes if she hadn't of complied. All she had to do was say no.

Instead, she kept saying yes.

She'd told him always.

It was no wonder that Chat kept coming back because she constantly allowed it. The cuddling, the late night visits, the touching and hell, had she not stepped back, she might've allowed the kissing as well.

(No matter how much she tried to convince herself that she would have hated it.)

Chat Noir had no right to be looking at her as if he was in love with her. There's no way he could be!

Chat Noir loved Ladybug. Chat Noir loved Ladybug more than he could ever love anyone else. He'd stated that himself.

But Chat Noir had also been gazing at Marinette the same way he looked at Ladybug; a look that held an ocean full of affection and harbored emotions strong enough to bring the cat himself to his knees.

A look that was nothing but complete and utter adoration, and dare she say it, love.

Oh my god, She mused as she collapsed upon her bed, having turned out the lights and untied her pigtails in preparation to sleep. Chat Noir is in love with me. Chat Noir is in love with Marinette… And Ladybug.

Chat Noir loves both sides of me.

It wasn't fair. The entire situation just wasn't fucking fair, and she had nobody to blame but herself for that!

Maybe feeding Chat on her terrace that night weeks ago had been an awful idea.

She was so, so stupid.

It wasn't fair to Adrien. It wasn't fair to Chat. It wasn't fair to herself.

And all of it was her fault.

Whatever bad news her partner planned to tell her the next night, without a doubt it couldn't possibly make her feel worse than she did currently.

Guilt made her sick to her stomach.

She considered texting Alya, but starting up a conversation near midnight when they both had school the next day would do little to no good. Waking her friend and receiving an angry call wasn't the way she wanted her night to end.

Adrien also crossed her mind. Would he be awake, she wondered? He was usually up, at least that's what he often told her—but what was the chance of him going to bed early for once and her waking him? Would he be mad?

A little text wouldn't hurt…

With a final sigh of defeat, she searched for her phone in the dark, hand running over sheets that felt so odd to be empty.

At this point, it felt unbelievably off to be sleeping alone. She'd been spoiled with the comfort of another person sharing her bed. First Chat Noir, then Adrien, and recently Alya (for some best-friend, feel-better cuddles.) She felt cold, desiring the vacant spot next to her to be filled.

She felt a twinge of regret at telling Chat Noir he couldn't stay.

But… It was the right thing to do.

A sigh blew from her nose as she opened up her and Adrien's last messages from the day before when he'd shared with her a video of a cat playing piano. Marinette smiled at the memory.

Adrien's love for cats almost made her reconsider disliking them.

She pondered for a moment over whether it really was a good idea to text him or not—if he was asleep and she happened to wake him, she'd feel awful. But if he was awake, no harm done, right?

He hadn't texted her all day… Maybe he didn't want to talk. Maybe he was having a bad day and needed some time alone. Maybe he was deciding he didn't like her after all-

❤Adrien❤: [ are you awake? ]

Oh.

Alright.

He'd texted her first.

[ I'm awake. Been sleeping all day so I don't feel tired :P ]

❤Adrien❤: [ are you feeling better at least? ]

He always seemed to worry about others before himself.

[ A lot better today! My head rarely hurts anymore ]

❤Adrien❤: [ that's good (=ↀωↀ=) so you're going to stay up all night then? i could use the company for a little while ]

Oh, she laughed internally, he's in a cat emoji mood tonight. Must have been a bad day.

[ Maybe. I'll regret it at school tomorrow but that's what coffee is for right? ]

❤Adrien❤: [ (=ↀДↀ=) i want coffee! ]

A laugh bubbled from her throat at his request. She'd never seen Adrien walk into school with coffee before—perhaps he wasn't allowed to have it.

The thought saddened her enough to oblige.

[ I'll bring you some. What do you like? ]

❤Adrien❤: [ so kind. ლ(●ↀωↀ●)ლ i'll have whatever you get. i can pay you back ]

[ You don't have to! Think of it as a gift from me to you ]

There was a pause before he began typing again. Then he stopped, erased it, and started typing once more.

❤Adrien❤: [ i never said i would pay you back with money (ΦωΦ) ]

[ Oh? What did you have in mind? More cat emojis? ]

❤Adrien❤: [ the cat emojis are a blessing and you love them. but i have something better to give you ]

She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

[ Do tell ]

❤Adrien❤: [ you'll see tomorrow~ ^ↀᴥↀ^ ]

Adrien seemed to have quite a habit of not telling her things, she realized. He still hadn't answered her question from before, even when they'd made a deal—it wasn't like she didn't know, but part of her wanted to be absolutely sure.

Whatever Adrien felt for her, however he wanted to put it, she desired to know.

After all, they had made a deal. He'd yet to hold up his side of it.

Before she had a chance to question him, he'd already sent another text.

❤Adrien❤: [ look at this meme ]

Rolling her eyes came naturally with a smile. Adrien was the only person she'd allow to keep her awake past decent hours with memes.

Marinette knew for a fact his phone was stock full of them.

Upon opening up the link he'd sent, she wasn't surprised to find another cat video awaiting her.

Maybe she could learn to like them, for his sake.

[ you have an unhealthy obsession with cats, you know ]

❤Adrien❤: [ they meme so much to me ]

[ … im going to bed]

❤Adrien❤: [ mari no ]

❤Adrien❤: [ mari wait ]

❤Adrien❤: [ i didnt meme it ]

❤Adrien❤: [ haha ]

❤Adrien❤: [ sorry ]

❤Adrien❤: [ don't hate meme ]

❤Adrien❤: [ it was a memestake ]

Could ignoring him and going to bed be considered rude?

❤Adrien❤: [ forgive meme ]

Adrien's puns were nearly as bad as Chat Noir's.

Ugh, she sighed, don't think about him.

[ im sleeping now ]

❤Adrien❤: [ (=ΦÅΦ=) come back ]

❤Adrien❤: [ without you, life would be ]

❤Adrien❤: [ ….memeingless ]

...Nope. She was definitely going to bed.

[ oh my god goodnight adrien ]

❤Adrien❤: [ no kisses? (ΦзΦ) ]

[ no you lost your chance ]

❤Adrien❤: [ (≚ᄌ≚) i'll be good ]

[ do you really meme that ]

She cringed at her own pun. The things she did to impress this boy, whom she was learning was incredibly dorkier than she had ever expected, were nearly more than she could stomach.

Marinette did not pun.

❤Adrien❤: [ =o w o= ]

❤Adrien❤: [ that's it ]

❤Adrien❤: [ it's official]

❤Adrien❤: [ you appreciate my puns ]

❤Adrien❤: [ you're the one ]

❤Adrien❤: [ marry me ]

❤Adrien❤: [ let's elope immediately ]

...Perhaps she could pun a little.

[ I dunno. I kind of always pictured having a pretty wedding ]

❤Adrien❤: [ i'll buy you a ring tomorrow ]

❤Adrien❤: [ the stone will be in the shape of a cat ]

[ Well now you've got me reconsidering ]

❤Adrien❤: [ (=;ェ;=) ]

❤Adrien❤: [ i thought what we had was real ]

[ Well considering you didn't hold up your end of the deal… I don't know what we had ]

Hah. Now she'd caught him!

❤Adrien❤: [ wouldn't you rather me tell you in person~? ]

[ are you going to? ]

❤Adrien❤: [ ;3 wouldn't you like to know ]

❤Adrien❤: [ tomorrow is a good day ]

❤Adrien❤: [ buuuut for now, i have to sleep~ goodnight mari ]

...Of course.

Of course he'd go to bed before she received her answer.

What else did she really expect?

[ goodnight adrien ]

Whatever he was going to tell her, it'd be tomorrow.

It seemed as if the next day was to be full of information. Adrien's "confession", Chat Noir's news… She didn't know what to expect.

Tomorrow was certainly another day.