8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chat Noir jumped from one building to the next, searching for Ladybug amidst the darkness of night. She'd only managed to escape the last time because of Paris' citizens. Part of him wanted to be proud. People went out on a limb to help her. They didn't have super powers. They were vulnerable, yet they stood as a wall between him and her. At the same time, though, they'd cost him the opportunity to finally end this nightmare.

She wasn't running from him anymore, she'd promised not to seek him out, and she knew she couldn't easily best him. He'd seen the realization in her exhausted eyes. Was she hiding from him now?

No. She wasn't a coward.

Stopping, he stood on a chimney and looked out over the ocean of buildings that made up the city landscape. Where was she?

He'd checked the major landmarks, the main streets, and dark alleys, even their old hangout rooftops. Granted, he'd been unable to thoroughly search the familiar spots. They'd brought back too many memories of when they'd take breaks from patrolling. She'd scowl at his pun-filled jokes, yet her eyes would twinkle. She'd tap his bell to the beat of songs that'd been stuck in her head as he tried to guess them. They'd share late night snacks and sometimes a meal if one of them had to skip dinner.

One memory rushed to the forefront on his brain: she'd brought dry cat food for him, expecting him to be disgusted. But he'd turned the joke around on her and popped a whole handful in his mouth with grateful excitement. Her look of utter shock had been worth the queasy stomach.

Clenching his jaw, he banished the memories to the furthest corners of his mind. The past was a waste of time. Wishing things could be different was even more so.

Focus.

Maybe she was still recovering. He'd pressed her hard, but he didn't think he had actually hurt her. Worry pricked his chest.

Cold steel.

He jumped down to head back to the mansion. His father was not going to be happy about this.

After vaulting himself through the circular window into the dark room, white butterflies scattering from his sudden appearance, he stood before Hawk Moth. "She's not out tonight."

"My spies have given the same report."

Chat moved to leave, but his father lifted a hand and said, "We need to force her out."

"I don't think she's hiding."

"Regardless, she must be there to de-evilize an akuma. We can attack her then."

"You said you wouldn't—"

"I won't. Not yet." His father looked down at him with eyes devoid of mercy, and Chat could practically hear a ticking clock. "No, I've found an entomologist who'd lost his research project. All of his specimens died, and he's currently drowning his despair in alcohol."

"A bug scientist?"

Hawk Moth smiled. "With a fascination for ladybugs."

Opening his mouth to ask if the man would hurt her, Chat snapped it shut. Weakness like that wasn't tolerated. Besides, he would be around to make certain the scientist wouldn't harm her.

"I'll give him another day to stew," his father continued. "He'll be that much more eager to capture the ultimate specimen."

Chat nodded. "Tomorrow then."

oOoOo

Marinette made sure to wear long sleeves even though it was a warm day. A nasty-looking bruise marred her forearm. One glance at it and anyone would ask questions. The memory of Chat's staff striking her, giving birth to the black and blue eyesore, was still laced with pain. He'd tried to disarm her, and it had almost worked, making her hand go nearly numb. Frankly, she was just grateful he hadn't broken a bone.

The party was only a couple days away, and she wanted to start prepping the apartment. She would clean, rearrange the furniture, put up some of the decorations today and deal with the rest as well as deliveries tomorrow.

She glanced at herself in the mirror.

"You look great, Marinette," Tikki said. "Besides, I thought you said you didn't care what Adrien thought of you."

"I don't." She fluffed her bangs.

The kwami giggled.

"I don't." She gave Tikki a stern eye. "Adrien's not interested in me that way, so it doesn't matter. I just want to look good for myself."

"Well, you do."

"Thank you," she said with a huff. Why was she being so testy about this?

Tikki, the saint she was, smiled, completely unperturbed, and disappeared into a pocket in Marinette's pants.

She walked downstairs, specifically not looking for Adrien, and definitely not noticing him sitting on the couch, playing on his phone.

He looked up at her, and she glanced away.

"Hey," he said.

She let the smile in his voice pull her gaze to him. His wide grin could put every storybook prince to shame.

He stood and crossed the room to meet her at the base of the stairs. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better. You?"

"Much. What do you have planned for the day?"

"This place needs to be picked up and the furniture rearranged to make room for the party."

He looked around the space. "I can help with that."

"You don't have anything to do today?"

He shook his head. "I'm completely at your disposal. Use me as you will."

Then he winked at her, and her brain spasmed. She stared at him. Was he flirting? No. He was just being goofy. But, damn, if he didn't suddenly remind her of Chat.

"So what would you have me do first?" he asked.

"Do you think we can move the coffee table, couch, and TV?" she asked. "It'll make more room for the dancing. Then we can set up…"

They got to work and, as the hours passed, were making pretty good progress. He was much stronger than he looked. He had stacked two lamps on a packed magazine rack on a small table and picked it up, balancing it perfectly. Well, it wobbled once when he caught her watching him. She shouldn't have had kept an eye on him so much. He probably thought she was micromanaging.

Then, after he'd been working for hours, he gripped the bottom of his sweaty shirt and went to lift it up, but stopped at her expression.

She wasn't even certain what her face looked like. If she had to guess, it would be nervous surprise mixed with eager anticipation: tongue lolling, eyes bugging, and blushing redder than a bruised tomato.

"Is it okay if I take it off?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" She coughed, adjusting her voice to an appropriate decibel. "I mean, if it'll make you more comfortable."

Don't stare. Don't stare. Don't stare.

She totally stared as he lifted his shirt overhead, revealing a very chiseled stomach and toned chest. His muscles flexed, bunching as he moved.

He tossed his shirt over the stair rail.

Adrien Agreste stood before her, shirtless and glistening. The world could end for all she cared.

Rescuing all those people as Ladybug must've racked up some seriously good karma.

"Are you sure this is okay?" he asked.

Oh god, she was making him uncomfortable. She needed to do something, to say something.

She made a sound.

He tilted his head.

Inhaling, she moved her mouth in such a way that would hopefully produce speech, but then he exhaled. His abs rippled, and she forgot everything.

"Marinette?"

Words. She needed words. "Couscous!"

"Couscous?"

"Yes, I need to get some couscous. And marmalade," she added, moving to the kitchen.

"But...we don't have either of those things."

She turned to the front door without breaking her stride. "Then I'll go get some."

Closing the door behind her, she exhaled long and slow. What she'd said finally hit her. Couscous? Marmalade? What had she been thinking?

She fished her phone out of her pocket and Tikki flew out with it. The kwami just looked at her with compassion.

Pressing Alya's name, she walked to the elevator.

"What's up, girl?" her friend asked.

"Adrien just took his shirt off in front of me."

"Then why are you talking to me? He should be beating you off with a stick right now."

He had probably thought he needed one. "I'm out getting some food."

"Right now? That's...odd."

She had no idea. And the time of day had nothing to do with it. "I needed to get out of there, Alya."

"Yeah, I imagine." She laughed. "I'm actually surprised your brain is functioning, let alone your legs."

"Barely." She stepped into the elevator, and before the door could fully close, a hand reached inside. Tikki zipped back into her pocket.

Adrien stood outside, wearing his shirt and an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable." He rubbed the back of his neck, then blocked the door from closing again.

"Is that him?" Alya whispered. "Get closer so I can hear better."

"I mean you have a boyfriend and all now." He said it like a statement, but he looked at her in question.

"Tell him Nathaniel isn't your boyfriend."

She blinked at him.

"Tell him!" Alya squealed in her ear.

He blocked the door once more. "I mean, you don't really need to get couscous and marmalade, do you? It's okay if it was just an excuse to leave. But if you're hungry, I can whip something up for you."

"Couscous and marmalade?" her friend asked, barely containing her amusement. "Girl, you're killing me."

Marinette just stepped to him, tongue unable to function.

"What's happening? Did he leave?"

"So what would you like to eat?" Adrien asked, ushering her back to the apartment.

"Phew, you're going with him. You were making me nervous."

"I'm fine, thank you," Marinette finally said and like a normal person to boot. Where was an applause track when you needed one? And why was he so nice? So perfect? It made moving on incredibly difficult.

"Good," her friend chimed in. "Now that your voice box is finally working, tell him you don't have a boyfriend."

"I'll talk to you later, Alya."

"Tell him!"

She ended the call and glanced at Adrien watching her. "I, um, had to ask her some questions about the party."

He just smiled and opened the apartment door.

oOoOo

Adrien overdid the flirting. Like shot it out of the Earth's atmosphere overdid it. He was so stupid, thinking a little flesh would make Marinette forget about her redhead and run into his arms. She wasn't that shallow.

From now on, he would be on his best behavior.

They worked some more, they ate dinner, then they went back to working. She was single-minded in her pursuit to have the best party for her friend. He appreciated that aspect of her, but he wasn't fully recovered from his fight with Ladybug and was getting tired.

He looked at her, brows lowered in concentration, hair sticking up at odd angles, cheeks pink from effort as she scrubbed the fireplace—which he thought was a bit much. He'd never even used it before—and his words died in his throat. She was beautiful, like Ladybug beautiful.

Then she leaned back and pushed up her sleeves, exposing a wide, dark bruise on her forearm that looked bone deep. Before he realized it, he knelt beside her and took her arm in his hands.

"What happened?" he asked.

She looked at him in confusion, then glanced down and snatched her arm back, lowering her sleeve. "It's just leftover from the accident."

"Did you land on a rock?"

"Mm hmm," she hummed as she went back to cleaning. "It's nothing."

A sinking feeling in his stomach had him furrowing his brows. "Marinette?"

"Yes?" she answered without taking her eyes off her task.

"You would tell me if someone was hurting you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Because you can. You can tell me anything." His words reminded him of what she'd said to Chat Noir. If she could be there for a villain, then he would make certain to be there for her.

Her scrubbing slowed, and she finally looked at him. Blue eyes, wide and soulful, met his. "That's kind of you."

"Is it Nathaniel?"

Her gaze went vacant for a second. "What?" She chuckled. "That boy doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

If he did hit her, he would have no bones in his body.

She must've read his thoughts because she added, "I'm serious. He has nothing to do with the bruise."

Nevertheless, Adrien would still be on the lookout.

"Since we're having a serious discussion"—she put the cleaning brush down and fully faced him—"will you tell me why you don't think the Miraculouses are good?"

He sat back, stunned. Where had that come from? "I didn't say that."

"You're right." She looked away in thought. "You said it would be better if they never existed."

"Well, yeah."

"But why?"

For starters, he and his father wouldn't be supervillains. "People wouldn't have to worry about being akumatized. Don't you notice everyone's hyper vigilance? It's not right."

She nodded. "But that's not Ladybug's fault. Or Chat Noir's. It's Hawk Moth's."

"And if there weren't Miraculouses, he wouldn't have the power to akumatize people."

"That's like saying if one bad person uses something incorrectly, then no one should use it."

"This isn't just an it. These are super powers, something normal people can't fight against. There are no metal detectors or bullet-proof vests for akumas."

"They're not weapons of mass destruction. They do good too."

They could bring his mother back. That was about all the good they could do.

She noticed his hesitation and leaned toward him. "How many people have Ladybug and Chat Noir saved from criminals and life-threatening accidents? How many kids still have their parents because of them, and vice versa?

He remembered all of the times he'd helped someone as Chat Noir. How good it had felt. He grit his teeth. Cold steel.

"It's—" It's not worth the cost, he wanted to say but was unable. He'd saved so many mothers he couldn't remember the exact number. If he could stop another kid from having to grow up without a mom, he would do whatever it took without hesitation. At least, he used to. Something deep inside him ached, like he'd lost a limb sometime ago and just now noticed it.

Thankfully, her phone rang, pulling her laser beam focus off him. "Hey, mom. What do you need? … No, we're just getting the apartment ready for the party. … Yeah, me and Adrien." She glanced at him, and he tried not to appear too interested in the conversation. "Sure, I'll ask. … No prob. Love you too."

She put her phone on the fireplace and tucked back her hair. "You don't have to say yes, but my mom invited you over for dinner next week."

"Sure. Sounds like fun."

Her brows drew together. "Really?"

"Yeah. They're nice, and I like seeing you interact with them...because it's cool seeing such a loving family...because. Well, because." He breathed out. He was so lame. She must think he was pathetic.

But her smile said otherwise. It was warmer than a fireplace on a cold winter day. "They think you're great. And they'll love you even more as they get to know you better, like I do. How I know you, not how I love you. Not that I dislike you. Because I do. I like you."

She blushed, and he touched her shoulder. "It's okay. I like you too. I couldn't have a better roommate."

"Yeah, roommate." Her smile went crooked.

Did he say something wrong? Regardless, he was happy the conversation had officially changed. "You know, I would think they'd invite your boyfriend over instead of me."

"Well, it's not like I live with him." For some reason her blush deepened.

"Do you want to?" He hadn't realized they'd gotten so serious. The thought of her leaving tied him in knots.

She laughed. "No, not at all. I'm happy right here."

They'd somehow managed to sit closer together, nearly touching. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, and her soft scent drew him in. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her. His gaze fell to her lips as she licked them. The room grew still yet his heart leapt into a wild sprint.

Their phones buzzed and an alarm blared, cutting the quiet like an explosion. They jerked back from one another and looked at their phones. An akuma alert. The latest in Paris' attempt to protect its citizens.

He stood, surprised he'd forgotten the time. "Is it okay if we call it a day? I didn't realize how late it is and I need to do something for my dad."

It wasn't a lie, exactly.

She got to her feet as well and nodded. "Yeah, go on. There's just a little left anyway. I can handle it."

"Okay." He made to leave, but his feet wouldn't budge. "I am happy you're my roommate."

"Me too." But her smile wasn't her usual full one.

Did she not believe him?

There was only one way to rectify that. He'd have to find a way to convince her of his sincerity.

AN - you have no idea how fun this chapter was to write. My sister and I cackled like two crazed witches at the shirtless and elevator scenes. She totally gets my kind of humor. Thanks, sis, for looking this over!

For those of you guys keeping up with season two on YouTube, I'm sure you've caught some similarities. :) I couldn't resist.

I am beyond shocked this story is so well received. Seven chapters and there's nearly 200 kudos. If it gets there, I might explode from surprise and joy. Thank you so much for sharing the love!

The little one is officially on break, but because I've been writing like mad, there won't be a two and a half week wait for the next chapter. Hurrah!

Update: done!