Chapter 9 - Complicated

After Marinette had gotten home, she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She had finally told Adrien how she had felt. The confession was another step to getting closer to Cat Noir and accepting him as her one true soulmate. As the universe wanted.

Once she was in her room, Tikki flew out from her purse.

"Wow, Marinette! I'm so proud of you! That took a lot of courage!" Tikki said excitedly.

"Thanks, Tikki, I hope Adrien is happy with whoever his soulmate is," Marinette said. She wasn't going to pretend she didn't have any heartsickness right now, but she felt as if she could get through it. It would be fine. She would be okay.

Marinette walked up onto her balcony and stared at the city she called home.

As Marinette, she walked through the city admiring its beauty with her friends. As Ladybug, she protected it with her beloved partner, Cat Noir.

Cat Noir...

Her partner, her teammate, her other half, her .

She was wondering about her soulmate mark. Why did the marks appear this way? Why was he given a mark reflecting her civilian self while she was given him one reflecting his superhero persona? It didn't make sense. Why wouldn't they both get civilian marks or superhero marks? She sighed and closed her eyes.

"So, what's got you so deep in thought, princess?" A voice said from behind her, making her jump slightly, Tikki quickly flew out of sight.

Marinette gasped and turned around. It was Cat Noir! He was leaning against the wall in a casual way, his eyes piercing. Handsomer than ever, she thought.

"I was just wondering about our soulmate marks," Marinette confessed.

"What about them?" Cat Noir asked.

"Well, why would the universe make Cat Noir, the great superhero of Paris, my soulmate?"

Cat Noir was silent for a moment.

"Do you not like me as your soulmate?" he asked hesitantly.

"What? No! I just mean, why would the mark insinuate your superhero self, not your civilian self. I mean, it would certainly be easier for us, and less sneaking around for you," Marinette teased.

Cat Noir walked up closer to Marinette, a devilish grin perched on his lips.

"Well I may have an idea," He said softly. He leaned towards her. He had a particular scent that she couldn't name, but it was strangely familiar. It was intoxicating.

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked, staring up at him,

Cat Noir suddenly turned away and walked towards her balcony, back to Marinette. He slumped, and his voice became heavier.

"Well, in my civilian life, I'm not as free as I am as Cat Noir. I have to make sure I don't embarrass my father, so I'm the perfect son. I can't really say or do anything. I can't go out with friends that often or just have some fun. I'm not my true self in my civilian form. But as Cat Noir, I'm free to do and say anything I want. I'm free from my father. It's become one of the best parts of my life."

Marinette, listening deeply, walked towards him on the balcony, feeling the air rush over her face: He put his hand on her cheek.

"I would rather my soulmate knew the true me than the 'perfect' version of me," he said, looking at her like she'd never been looked at before.

Marinette was silent. She was stunned. She had no idea. When she thought about it though, she felt the same way about herself. She felt as if Ladybug was the perfect and more confident version of herself and that everyone preferred her over her natural clumsy self.

"I had no idea," Marinette said.

"You'd have no way of knowing. I haven't even told Ladybug about this," he said.

Marinette looked at the boy in front of her and it was like she saw him in a whole new light. She had always assumed he was the same person beneath the mask as he was in it, but apparently, that was far from the truth.

"Cat..." she said.

His eyes, focused on the ground, snapped back to Marinette.

Marinette reached out her arms and hugged him. He was taller than her so she just relaxed her head into his chest, inhaling his smell. He was tense for a second before he relaxed into her arms and hugged her back.

When Marinette let go, she had a slight blush on her face.

"Uh, shall we go inside?" she asked.

"Yeah," Cat Noir replied.

As usual, Marinette went downstairs and got some snacks for Cat Noir and her to enjoy. When she got back she offered them to Cat Noir who happily accepted them. They were silent for a moment before Cat Noir spoke up.

"So, on the subject of soulmates, was there someone you wanted to be your soulmate? I'm sure your first pick wasn't a superhero," Cat Noir said, laughing.

Marinette was silent for a moment. Eh, what the hell, she had already confessed to Adrien. Why not tell him?

"Well, there's this boy in my class. His name is Adrien. He's a model and is super popular, but that's not why I had a crush on him, in fact, I strongly disliked him because I thought he put gum on my chair. I thought he was one of those guys who were rich and didn't care about anyone else. But, turns out I was wrong and that he is kind and caring and amazing and... and it just sort of happened. I even got up the courage to send him a Valentine's Day card responding to a poem," Marinette said, staring at the bed.

"So, you didn't care that he was a model, or that he was rich?" he asked. He seemed genuinely interested and not jealous or hurt that she'd liked someone else.

"No, I told you, when I first met him I thought he was a rich snob who didn't care about anyone else. It wasn't until he explained the situation that I realized that I had been wrong. He is truly an amazing guy, and I hope he is happy with his soulmate," she said.

Cat Noir smiled.

"You're amazing, you know that? You don't care about money or looks. You love someone based on knowing them as a person. You might just be the kindest person I've ever met, Marinette."

Marinette blushed.

"You're amazing too," Marinette said.