Chapter 1 (updated)

Updated 8-12-21

Marinette woke with a jolt, sitting up in her bed. She raised her hands and buried her face in them, groaning in embarrassment.

After years of working together, her and Chat were finally a little closer. They had gotten comfortable with each other and, after each battle, shared a hug and spent time talking with each other about the battle, or sometimes just sitting there in comfortable silence. Last night, after an intense akuma battle, they were sitting on the top of a building, as usual, but their emotions were higher than usual as they discussed the battle, and eventually the topic shifted to disappointments that they had had in their lives.

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Oh my gosh! Am I really doing this? With Chat Noir?

Marinette leaned forward in her bed and laid her face in the midst of her comforter and other blankets. "Ughhh!" She groaned, the sound muffled in her blankets. Tiki flew out from her little bed on Marinette's nightstand and leaned against the girl's face.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" Tiki asked in her tiny, little voice.

"You were there," came the moan. "You know what I did last night!" Marinette hid her face in her hands again as she continued speaking to her kwami. "I'm so embarrassed! I never should have done any of the things I did, I can't believe that I did " she grimaced as she said the word and thought about what it meant,with the guy that I work with every day. I will be able to face Chat again!"

"It's ok, Marinette," cooed Tiki. "You know Chat, I don't think you have to worry about him making a big deal about what happened if you tell him you don't want him to. You just have to talk to him." At the bluenette's horrified look at the thought of talking to her partner about what they had done, the kwami changed her focus and decided instead to just comfort her owner in any way she could. "We all make mistakes, the most important thing is that you learn from your mistakes."