-6- The Cat's Meow

"I didn't know it was going to be so cold, Tikki," Marinette whispers as she walks out of the library, shoving a book for an essay into her backpack. "Otherwise I would have brought a jacket."

"I like the chilly air," Tikki responds, poking her head out of Marinette's purse. "Wow. It sure got dark fast."

Marinette looks up at the night sky. "Yeah, I know. I was only there for a few hours. Or so I thought." She slips her backpack on, checking the time on her phone. 9:30 PM. "I missed dinner! I need to call Mom." She dials her Mom's number. "Hi, Mom! I was at the library and lost track of time. I'm heading home now. No, I don't need Dad to pick me up. It's only like a ten minute walk. I'll be fine. I love you." She slides her phone into her back pocket. "I can't believe I was there for hours and didn't get any work done."

"Do you think it might be due to the fact you couldn't stop staring at your phone?" Tikki teases. "Looking at pictures of—"

"CAT NOIR?!" Marinette screams with wide eyes as the black feline drops down in front of her.

"At your service, Princess." Cat Noir grabs her hand and lifts it to kiss it.

She laughs, closing her purse shut. "Heh... W-What are you doing here?" She asks, hoping he didn't see the red bug peeking out of her bag.

"I saw you walking alone, so I thought I'd come and keep you safe." Cat Noir falls into step with Marinette as they walk to her house. "I wouldn't be a gentle-cat if I let you walk alone."

"How sweet, Kitty." Marinette glances down at her purse.

Cat Noir starts twirling his staff around. "So, why were you at the library?"

"Are you stalking me, Cat Noir?" Marinette asks with a smirk, an eyebrow raised at him.

"I always make sure you're safe while I'm on patrol, Princess." He grins at her and winks. Flirting with Marinette as Cat Noir was easier for him than as Adrien, and kind of fun.

She rolls her eyes. "Don't start with that nickname again."

"What would you like me to call you then?"

"How about my name?" She teases, grinning.

Cat Noir shakes his head. "Nah. That's too formal. What about Mari?"

"I can live with that," Marinette agrees, shrugging her shoulders.

"So..." He tries again. "Why were you at the library, Mari?"

"If you must know, I have to write a 5-page essay for school." Cat Noir knew exactly what she was talking about. He had just finished it this morning. "I was at the library doing some research."

"How much do you have written?"

"My name and date."

Cat Noir's eyes widen. Marinette was more punctual that that. "Wow, Mari. I didn't take you for a slacker."

"And I didn't take you for a stalker, Cat Noir." Marinette smiles at him, laughing.

"Touché."

Marinette and Cat Noir face each other outside the bakery.

"This is my stop," She whispers, leaning back on the heels of her feet. "Thanks for walking me home, Cat Noir."

"'Course, Mari." He leans forward and kisses her on the cheek. "You know I'm always here to keep you safe."

She rolls her eyes. "Goodnight, Kitty."

Cat Noir blows Marinette a kiss before leaping onto a building. He loves when she calls him Kitty.

Marinette shakes her head and walks inside.

***

"I can't get anything done, Tikki!" Marinette slams her notebook shut. "I've been writing for hours and I've only gotten two whole pages done." She rubs her forehead and yawns. "It's due tomorrow, and thanks to being Ladybug and having to save Paris over and over again, I haven't had any time to write it."

"Why don't you take a break, Marinette?" Tikki rubs her cheek. "Get some fresh air on the balcony and clear your head. Then come back and write when you're ready."

Marinette smiles and rubs Tikki's small head. She climbs up on her bed, opening the trap door, and steps out onto the balcony. The moon's bright tonight. She couldn't help but feel mesmerized by it. She stares, sighing, resting her chin against her hand as she leans on the railing.

Cat Noir jumps up.

"AHH!" She falls back, but before she can hit the ground, he catches her. "You scared me, Cat Noir!" She screams, embarrassed.

"Sorry." The grin on his face said he wasn't. "But you know I'm always here to catch you."

"It's almost midnight. What are you doing here?"

"I was on patrol. Again. You know, protecting Paris." Cat Noir flexes, making Marinette roll her eyes. "Got bored and saw you hanging out here. Thought I'd stop for a chat."

With an eyebrow up, she asks, "A chat?"

"Is something wrong with that?"

She shakes her head. "No. I'm just surprised. I mean, what would Ladybug think if she knew you were out on patrol just talking to civilians?"

Cat Noir smirks. "I think she'd forgive me."

Marinette rolls her eyes again. After her heart races back to normal, she leans forward against the railing. She sighs with a frown. She couldn't stop thinking about how sad Adrien looked when he left earlier that afternoon. She hoped that Miss Bustier changing his grade would make him feel better.

"Something on your mind?"

She realizes how close Cat Noir is, but doesn't say anything. "It's just... nothing."

"You can tell me, Mari." Cat Noir reaches for her hand. "You can tell me anything."

He's right. She trusts Cat Noir with her life, as both Ladybug and Marinette. "For some reason, I think I unintentionally hurt my friend. He was really bummed out earlier. But I don't know why."

She's talking about me. "What do you mean?"

"We had to make a short movie for a class project and we ended up getting half credit on it. I think it's my fault."

Confused, he asks, "Why?"

Marinette looks at her hands. "I don't think my costumes were good enough. Or my acting wasn't believable. I don't know, but I talked to our teacher and she gave him full credit."

Cat Noir's eyes widen. So it was her. He smiles. "Really? You did that for him?"

She smiles. "Yeah. I would do anything for him."

She would do anything for me? For Adrien? Why? "Then what are you sad about?" He hates seeing her like this, all heart broken.

"I..." She laughs. "A lot of things."

Cat Noir chuckles.

"Maybe I'm just an unlucky partner."

Cat Noir thinks about Ladybug and her lucky charm. He clears his throat and forces himself not to laugh. "You're not unlucky Mari. You're an amazing partner."

"Do a project with me and you'll say different."  As Marinette plays with a loose thread on her jacket sleeve, Cat Noir watches her with a smile. She looks so beautiful in the moonlight and he's mesmerized by her. She looks up and catches his eye. "What? Something in my hair?"

He reaches out and grabs a section of her loose hair, twirling it between his fingers. "Just a claw."

Laughing, she shoves him away, but he comes even closer. "You're never serious, Cat Noir."

"What's fun in being serious?"

"Uh, having a normal conversation with someone?" Marinette flicks the bell on his collar. "It doesn't have to be jokes all the time."

"We have normal conversations." He elbows her side. "Don't we?"

"I guess." She closes her eyes and giggles. "It's midnight and instead of doing my homework, I'm keeping a cat company."

Smirking, Cat Noir leans in. "I am the cat's meow."

She rolls her eyes, whispering, "So you say."

"You must really like that guy if you're willing to convince your teacher to change his grade." Cat Noir climbs on the railing, letting his legs fall. "Does Mari have a crush?"

Blushing, she turns away from him and playfully slaps his arm. "Wouldn't you like to know, Kitty." She checks the time on her phone. "I should probably head back inside and finish my essay."

Cat Noir leaps off the railing and opens the trap door. "Ladies first."

"What?" Marinette shakes her head with wide eyes. "Y-You can't come in my room."

"Why not?"

"I..." She didn't know why. "Well, it's after midnight and my parents would freak out if I had a boy in my room."

Cat Noir grins. "Your dad loves me, Mari." He gets serious. "But, I also don't want to go home. It's hard to sleep." He hates sleeping in an empty bed in an empty house.

Marinette starts to smile. "Okay. But only for a little bit, and don't distract me because I really need to finish this essay." She walks over to her trap door and Cat Noir grabs her hand, helping her down into her bedroom. He falls in step behind her and closes the door. While Cat Noir is distracted, she lets Tikki out of her purse, who flies and hides behind her computer. "So, this is my room, but I'm sure you remember because you've been in here before."

Cat Noir eyes the pictures of Adrien on her pink walls. There seems to be more than from last time. "It's still really pink." He makes himself comfortable on her pink chaise. "Go on. Write your essay. I'm good here."

Marinette sits at her desk and starts writing. Surprisingly, it's easier to write with Cat Noir here. In just thirty minutes, she's finished a page and a half. "Just a page and a half to go."

***

Cat Noir's bored out of his mind. He didn't think Marinette would really be focused on homework. He stands up and looks around the room, spotting her mannequin in the corner and the dress she's working on. The skirt's finished, and the top is halfway done. "What's this?" He asks, even though he already knows it's one of her designs.

She glances over. "Oh, that's a dress I'm designing." She pulls out her sketchbook and hands it to Cat Noir. "When I'm done with it, I'm going to make this matching suit." She taps the page and continues writing.

Cat Noir takes the book and smiles at the design. "This is awesome, Mari."

"That's what my friends say." Marinette chews on her pencil. "I'm supposed to model it with that boy I told you about. My partner for the short movie?"

"Really? You must be pretty special."

Snorting, Marinette says, "No, not really."

Cat Noir frowns. He hates when Marinette talks down about herself. "Of course you're special, Mari. Your designs are amazing. I saw that derby hat you made for Adrien Agreste." Her eyes widen as she starts blushing. "That boy is on every magazine in the Paris.  Must be exhausting having people recognize you all the time."

"Good thing you're wearing a mask then," Marinette teases, turning to look at him. "Cat Noir would get everyone's attention."