44. Chapter 44

When Marinette finally stepped into the hotel's lobby, the first thing that entered her mind was to kill Alya.

The designer realized her mistake after she let Adrien handled the negotiations. She knew that he was bad at handling peer pressures, but her unwavering trust towards him blindsided her, believing that her partner would do anything for his Lady.

She forgot to consider his weakness against bribes.

Not that she didn't like his company - because she actually loved every second of it – she was getting antsy not knowing their friends' devious plans. The uncertainty was making her anxious and scared to whatever concoctions their classmates were brewing for them.

The cryptic assurances she received from Adrien didn't help her nerves either.

No matter how many times she interrogated him, accused him of dishonesty and threatened him to be skinned alive, the guy didn't budge a bit. His 'Cat's Honor' mantra was something she didn't understand at all because cats and honors never mix together. Besides, cats were notorious for being fickle-minded pets with questionable loyalty.

"Not this Chat, ma Purr-incesse." the model defended as he kissed her hand.

It dawned on her that Alya must've promised him something like the moon and the stars enough to become one of her cohorts. And apparently, that promise was related to her.

Bottling her fury, the pig-tailed designer punched their floor number in the elevator as she abandoned her partner's cries. When she reached the hallway, she marched hastily towards their room number then rapped the door.

It took her three knocks before the door swung open, and when she was about to spew some insults, three pairs of arms pulled her in a swift motion.

"What the actual foutre - "

"Strip," Alya commanded as she secured the door locks.

Nobody gave Marinette a single chance to respond.

Everything happened so fast the designer barely recalled how her classmates removed her garments unceremoniously and dived her into a tub full of lathered water.

Her reaction was late again when Chloe emerged somewhere and slapped something on her face.

"It's a honey gunk." the blondie explained as she smothered another goo on her other cheek. "Good for exfoliation and - mon dieu, you should've applied a higher SPF lotion for these freckles! What kind of cheap brands are you using?!"

Talking about her skin care was the least topic she wanted to discuss there.

When a hand tried to lift her bare leg, she finally recovered her bearings and snapped "WA - WA - WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU ALL DOING WITH ME?!"

Her female classmates paused momentarily then looked at her like she just announced she was Ladybug.

"We're preparing you for your first date," Alix told her casually.

"Fi - fi - fi -first date?!"

"With Adrien, of course." Rose grinned as she uncapped a shampoo.

"Bu - bu - bu - bu - but why?!"

"Because we are your friends," Alya answered matter-of-factly while leaning on the sink. "And don't you dare give me that glare, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, because we're all doing this to help you attain your happiness."

"Happiness, my ass!" her best friend snarled. "No way this can be considered as something friendly!"

"Not me," Chloe interjected with a huff. "And will you quit giving me that stupid look because I'm not your friend - over my dead body - and I'm doing this for my Adrikins, okay?"

Everyone's attention fell on the mayor's daughter much to her chagrin.

"Fine! I admit it! Adrien liked, no, adored you more than anyone in the world! And as his one true best friend, I'm not allowing him to go out with someone that will make him looked so pathetic!"

Her outburst earned an adorable 'awwws'.

"Chloe..." Marinette was surprised yet managed to break a small grin. "I don't know whether to feel insulted or take them as a compliment."

"Thank me later." she flashed an uncanny smile, one that reminded her of their collège days. "Sabrina?"

With a snap of her fingers, their bespectacled classmate yanked Marinette's leg again from the tub, then stuck a peel-off waxing patch.

"Do it."

They were thankful that their hotel room was sound-proofed else people might think someone was being murdered based on Marinette's painful wails.

.

.

.

.

"I have never been so violated like this in my entire life." Marinette shuddered with her arms wrapping around her body.

She was sitting helplessly in front of a large mirror while her female classmates applied their finishing touches.

"It's okay, Marinette. You looked so beautiful tonight." Juleka consoled as she ironed her loose raven-haired locks.

"I beg to differ." the designer sniffled.

"But you are!" Alix gasped, slipping her a short-sleeved coat. "You're so dashing right now. Adrien must be blind if he failed to see it!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"How I wish I have your flawless skin, and your toned body - with that killer abs and pecs." Mylene soothed. "And to think that you're living in a bakery."

"Carrying tons of flour bags must've compensated all the carbs she consumed per day." Chloe snorts earned her a scowl.

"This is the highest level of bullying." The designer puffed her cheeks. "This is harassment."

The blondie rolled her eyes. "Yet you didn't reject us. Willingness is not part of the harassment."

"You threatened to shave my head if I made any protests!"

"Oh Mari, Mari, Mari." Alya sighed, cupping her best friend's face gently without smudging the makeup she painstakingly applied. "If we're not going to take these matters into our hands, God forbid if this ridiculous tango you both danced for years will ever stop."

Her classmates hummed to agree.

"Adrien might be an old soul, and you have this conservative nature that came from your Asian blood, but these were going on since troisième. Now we're about to enter terminale." she clasped her hands. "Taking things slowly is fine, but remember that moments like these are hard to come by. Time is precious, Girl. It waits for no one."

Marinette began to recall her dreams, those dreadful dreams she encountered as a side-effect of an Akuma.

"You're right, Alya. We must live our life to the fullest." the designer sighed then mulled over. "But...am I really beautiful tonight?"

"That's an understatement of the century," Rose replied unabashedly. "Believe it or not, I'm super gay with you right now."

She laughed.

"Let's cut this drama, girls." the brunette said as she straightened her back then pulled out her phone. "I bet the Prince already sent his henchman to fetch his Princess."

While they were waiting for a knock on the door, they didn't expect to hear one on the windows.

"What's that?" Sabrina whispered.

All eyes loomed as their pink-haired classmate courageously parted the curtains aside, revealing a clawed dark hand with glowing green eyes.

The girls - except Marinette - screamed.

"Shh! Shhh! It's just me! Me!" the feline hero emerged from the shadows as he frantically waved his arms for silence.

That made the scream turned into a shriek.

"Oh my God, it's Chat Noir!"

"Merde, it's Chat Noir!"

"Chat Noir is that you?!"

"What is Chat Noir doing here?!"

"Wait, where's Ladybug?"

"Girls, calm down." the visitor chuckled, somewhat pleased that no one heard the ruckus from the outside and called the authorities. "I believe my Lady is well, and the reason why I'm here is due to my Master's request. He sent me, the finest Knight of the land, to accompany his fair Purr..."

He first saw red polished nails in an apostle sandals, with white porcelain legs against a knee-length summer dress.

"...in..."

She was wearing a red piece with a two-layered skirt. The thin chiffon has black imprinted swirls that would appear like dots if checked from afar and blended well on the inner scarlet silk. Minus the accessory leather belt, the torso has swirl-like laces that hugged like a corset, making the wearer's figure so eminent.

"...ces..."

Its box neck style accentuated her breast but modest enough not to display the cleavage. And despite being a thin-strapped garment, the dark bolero with a Chinese collar made it perfect for cold outdoors.

"...se..."

His eyes began to trail on her loose midnight hair with side braids that displayed the black studs on her ears. Her kissable lips were tinted with pink, light skin foundation that revealed her natural blush, and her bluebell eyes shone well against smokey hues.

"Chat Noir."

"Hi." was his dumb reply.

All his life he had never seen a scowl so appealing like Marinette's.

"Hey, hey, Chat Noir." Rose nudged, moving the charmed hero in front of his subject. "Care to tell our friend here that she's too beautiful tonight, that Adrien might render speechless and lose himself once he sees her?"

Chat Noir couldn't speak, let alone say beautiful to his Princess, because he suddenly got tongue-tied at her presence and almost lost his self-control enough to forget that he was Adrien.

He barely registered the words of his classmates or cared how his mouth gaped like a dehydrated fish until Chloe broke his reverie.

"Where's Adrien?"

"A - Adrien? Who - you mean, where? Ah, he's outside. Waiting. You know. For...me?" he stammered without averting his gaze from his scowling Princess.

"Chat Noir." Alya crossed her arms when the hero paid him no attention. "Do you have some hots with my best friend?"

The designer choked her spit.

"Alya!"

The superhero finally broke his reverie with a blush. He was considered to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt as he chewed his lower lip. He was having a hard time how not to lie on such question. So instead of giving denial thoughts, he covered his face with his gloved hands then hunched down to the floor.

"Pretty." he whimpered with his red-hued human ears and a swash-buckling leather tail. "She's too pretty. It's so unfair she's too pretty."

His honesty earned a raucous laughter much to Marinette's embarrassment.

Never in her life had she once dreamed seeing her partner being riled by her classmates because he finds her pretty.

"Okay, let's not bully our superhero." the brunette snickered, and the way she ruffled his blond hair made his faux ears twitch. "Can we just give this guy a benefit of a doubt? If we trusted him with our lives, perhaps Adrien trusted him with his Lady's safety. Am I right, Kitty?"

As if he didn't notice her underlying words that he, Chat Noir, will be skinned alive if he'll abduct Marinette.

Was he really that unreliable?

"Don't fur-ret, wonder-fur ladies!" the feline hero shoots up then patted his chest to control his nerves. "Fur I, Chat Noir, will deli-fur this fair Purr-incess to her charming Purr-ince safe and sound!"

He didn't miss how Marinette cringed on his puns.

"Though I admit I got cat-tivated by Purr-incess' beauty." he went on. "But I am a loyal feline that serves one Lady."

That wasn't a lie though.

"Well, Adrien was enamored by Ladybug's beauty before," Alix commented with a smirk. "So it's very likely to have someone experience the other way around."

"Gah! I refused to believe that this lowly peasant was on par with glorious Ladybug!" Chloe crossed her arms. "She's nothing but a - "

"Oh wow, the amazing Chat Noir is going to be my guardian for tonight?" Marinette interjected to avoid possible disasters. "Such a great honor to be in your presence!"

"Likewise, thy lovely Purr-incess." he bowed dramatically. "You have no idea what kind of grandeur your handsome Purr-ince has prepared for you as a surprise."

"You showing up here was already a surprise."

Sensing the dripping sarcasm, he flashed her a toothy grin. "If only you knew."

"But how will you able to bring me to my Prince safe and sound, Monsieur Noir?" she asked then sauntered towards the flustered superhero. "By pole-vaulting?"

Under normal circumstances, Chat would give his mocked defense with an innuendo.

He couldn't do that at the moment, unfortunately, much more in front of the Ladyblogger who was drilling some holes on his skull. Wrong move and he might dig his own unmarked grave.

"Do not underestimate the weapon of my Miraculous, fair Purr-incess!" he boasted as he pulled his silver baton. "This was equipped with several features - from slaying a dragon to a simple mode of transportation."

To demonstrate, he walked towards the balcony railings then pushed a paw button to extend it to the ground. Then he proudly wiggled his brows.

While the girls awed - including Alya who was recording the entire scene - Marinette was highly amused.

"But I am wearing a dress," she complained theatrically. "My skirt will flip!"

Chat Noir felt his brain made a flip.

"Unless you will carry me in a style fit for a Princess," she added with a wink.

The feline hero tried not to growl on her partner's boldness. She was a tease and a downright cheater, and the poor him was lured to her trap so easily. Damn.

He must redeem himself and get his sweet revenge.

Two can play a game, My Lady.

"Of claws." he bowed then spread his arms wide.

Trying not to show some familiarity, the designer wrapped her arms around his neck, clumsily at first, as he tucked her securely by hoisting her legs and supporting her spine. It was an easy feat, but very difficult for his gentlemanly side not to cop a feel, especially after contacting her smooth skin, her delicious scent of honey and vanilla, her warm breath...oh yeah, his soul was doomed to be thrown in the pits of Hell.

Did he also mention that Alya was recording everything?

"Aww, how I wish someone can carry me in a bridal style!"

"Carry me too, Chat Noir!"

"Good luck, Marinette! Take her well, Chat Noir!"

"I wanto try that!"

"Have fun with your date, Marinette!"

"Send my regards to Adrien!"

"Hey, Chat Noir?" Alya beamed, still aiming her phone towards their way. "Please take care of my best friend, okay?"

The feline hero glanced at his seductress hastily before he made an affirmed nod. "I will."

The 18th-story building was nothing to Marinette if she was transformed as Ladybug. Despite the height seemed scary outside the mask, she couldn't help but feel safe knowing that her partner was the one beside her. She maintained her relaxed posture when he stepped on the edge of the balcony railings.

"Want to try falling for me?" Chat whispered in her ear.

She rolled her eyes subtly "Oh Kitty, I'm already falling..."

She trailed off when she saw his shit-eating grin and that familiar twinkle on his sclera that normally appears whenever he wanted to try something reckless.

"You fucking punster," she growled.

He winked.

All the blood drained out from Marinette's face when she realized that they were free-falling.

"Goddamn it, you stupid ChaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT!"

Her grip tightened as they were about to meet the ground, only to leap a hundred meters higher enough to see the horizon.

Then another free fall.

"Just wait until I KIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLL YOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!"

It was supposed to be a romantic sight of a young couple flying under a starry sky, if not for the horrified screams and maniacal laughs that failed to be drowned by the summer wind...followed by a yowl.

"Oh, Marinette punched Chat Noir in the face."