"Come on, Marinette!" Cat Noir bounced with excitement as he darted ahead, impatiently.
"Calm down, Cat Noir." Marinette rolled her eyes playfully as she walked at a more leisurely pace behind him. "Don't make me regret inviting you here."
"Sorry, I just-" He composed himself. "I've never been to the fun fair before."
"Seriously?" She wondered curiously. "You? The king of fun and games has never been to the fun fair?"
"Nope, I- Wait? King, really?!" He smirked. Marinette just grabbed him by the tail and tugged him into the park.
It was still early evening, but not by the park's standards. Already, the parking lot was half full, the vast expanse of blacktop crammed with cars of all shapes and sizes. Luckily, they had traveled by stick, which was a lot smaller and easier to store. The peaks and loops of various roller coasters were just visible over the park's walls, hilltops on the horizon, and the cheers and screams of thousands of visitors were barely audible, like a soft breeze.
Soon the tables had turned and Marinette was the one rushing around.
"Okay, what do we do first?" Cat Noir wondered, turning to see Marinette racing in the opposite direction.
"Ooo, Cotton Candy!" She cheered. He just chuckled at her and followed as she picked out a bag of pink Cotton Candy. Cat Noir reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet and paying the nice gentleman. "You didn't have to do that." Marinette smiled gratefully.
"Hey, I may be dressed like a cat. But my chivalry will not be affected. Besides, if it makes you happy, then you can have as much cotton candy as you wish." He explained.
"You shouldn't say things like that." She warned as she munched on her candy. "Here." She handed him a piece.
"Fluff... It's literally fluff." He noted.
"Come on, cats eat fluff all the time. Just try it."
He hesitantly placed it on his tongue and gasped as it melted. Marinette giggled.
"It's nice..." They continued walking around the park as Marinette devoured the entire bag of cotton candy. "So, what's next?" He barely had time to finish his sentence as he felt a small hand wrap around his wrist.
"Teacups!" She cheered racing toward the ride.
Ahead of them, the teacups slowed to a stop, then disgorged their passengers, who staggered semi-dazedly to the exit. A few of them looked prepared to do some disgorging themselves.
The two of them hopped into the nearest cup, and Marinette eagerly clutched the wheel. Cat Noir, who was now the one walking at a more leisurely pace, giggled.
"You're cute when you get excited, you know that?" He said. Marinette stuck out her tongue but internally she glowed at the compliment.
"Just grab the wheel, Tom Cat." She ordered. "The faster you spin the wheel, the faster the ride." She explained. "Think you can handle it?" She smirked challengingly.
"I'm sure I can manage. Besides, I have a magic suit that helps curb the dizziness." He reminded. "The question is, can you handle it?"
"Oh, please. I'm a pro."
"Okay, here's the deal, whoever handles it best when the ride is over, gets to pick what we do next."
"Deal." She agreed.
The cups began to turn again, and the music started up. It was tinny and low quality, but she didn't care. She looked at Cat Noir with a sly grin. Cat Noir nodded. Without a word, they both tugged at the wheel, twisting it clockwise.
The cup lurched rapidly accelerating. The two kept turning, and the teacup spun faster and faster. Marinette started sliding along the seat and had to adjust her posture to stop from sliding out altogether. Her pigtails whipped around cheerfully, and Cat Noir's messy hair flowed freely as well. Marinette laughed at the sensation, enjoying the feeling of the wind on her face once again. She looked outside of the teacup and saw only a blur, the park flying by in a whirlwind.
Soon, she wished she hadn't. She felt her stomach lurch, and her head began to realize how fast they were spinning. As Ladybug, she could've handled this no problem, and even been bored that it was spinning so slow. But as Marinette, she was only human, and her stomach couldn't keep up with the rest of her body. She looked forward and down at her hands, which were still turning the wheel. She let go but the queasiness proceeded to build.
Marinette looked up at Cat Noir. She began to open her mouth, then stopped.
Cat Noir's eyes were closed and his arms were up in the air. He was smiling ear to ear, and it looked like he was laughing too. He was so content and carefree, without a hint of his usual restraint.
Marinette's entreaty to slow down died in her throat. A little motion sickness wasn't going to make her bring her partner down from this high. Instead, she threw her own arms up and enjoyed the ride, rising turmoil in her stomach be damned. Besides, it's not like she was gonna-
***
Breathe deeply, that's the key. Deep breaths of some nice, clean oxygen.
She was bent over, hands on her knees, just outside of the teacups. She felt a hand on her back, probably Cat Noir's.
"That's it." He said soothingly. "Just take it slow. Inhale, exhale."
Marinette continued to stare at the pavement.
"It's still moving," She mumbled.
"What?"
"The ground's still moving," She said swaying. She wiped some sweat off her forehead. "Tell them to turn it off, before I... make another mess." She tried to joke.
"If you have to do it again, do it." Cat Noir insisted. "Don't try to hold it in, that just makes it worse."
Marinette glanced up at him.
"I know how puke works, Cat Noir," She said sardonically. The blonde bristled, and Marinette lowered her eyes again. "Sorry," She said.
"It's okay," He sighed, continuing to stroke her back. His gentle touch soothed her immensely.
"I didn't get you, did I?" She asked, worriedly.
"No, actually," He answered. "I think you turned your head at the last moment."
"Well, that's good, at least," She chuckled. "Thanks, Kitty." She said appreciatively as he continued gently stroking her back. "You're a lifesaver."
Now Cat Noir was really blushing. "Don't give me too much credit," He said. "After all, it was kinda my fault, to begin with."
Marinette blinked. "Your fault?" She said, puzzled. "How is it your fault?"
"I stopped paying attention," He explained. "I should've noticed you were getting nauseous, but I let my guard down."
Marinette had slightly recovered now, and she squeezed Cat Noir's shoulders. "Now hold on just a minute, Mister," She frowned. "I seem to recall that I was turning the wheel just as fast as you were. Plus, it's my dinner that got all over it, right?"
"Well, yeah, of course, but I could've-"
Marinette looked into his eyes. "It's my fault, Cat Noir. I made the choice, and I suffered the consequences."
The blonde wilted. "Well, maybe I don't like to see you suffer," He said quietly.
Marinette struggled to think of a good response, so she went for a hug instead.
"I appreciate that," She whispered.
"I'm glad," He whispered in return. Just then, Marinette noticed a familiar redhead racing toward them.
"Uh, oh."
***
