Stray ~ A MariChat Love Story (Complete)

Chapter 10: Teaching an Old Chat New Tricks

"This is your kitchen?" Chat jaw nearly dropped to the floor. His father's mansion was massive, but in that moment Marinette's kitchen rivaled his own. Shelves and cabinets of all sizes filled to the brim with baking supplies lined every wall with a pristine black marble island in the center.

Marinette reached over and closed his mouth with the back of her hand. "Careful now, we wouldn't want you catching flies, Chat Noir."

Chat chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Right, I just wasn't expecting it to be this big."

"Well, when you own a bakery this is actually on the smaller side of things. We could always make it bigger, but that would cost too much and besides..." Marinette gestured around them and grinned, "We don't really need anything more."

She beckoned Chat with her finger and he obediently followed after to her. She opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk and eggs. "So what do you feel like baking?" she asked, "I'm not too sure how much experience you have in a kitchen."

Chat shrugged and leaned against the island across from her, "How about something basic? I'd hate to ruin your purrfect kitchen with my bad luck."

Marinette pressed her finger to her chin and sighed. "Well we could always make cupcakes. I don't know anything more basic than that."

Chat grinned, "Sweet. Just like you."

She rolled her eyes at him, "You've been waiting on that line for a while now, haven't you?"

He pressed his palm against his chest and did his best to look insulted. "What? You wound me, Princess. I just a have a raw talent for puns. It's my specialty."

Marinette scoffed and gestured to the shelves behind him. "Get me a bowl, measuring cups and a wooden spoon. Try not to hurt yourself too much."

He saluted her and started searching through the cupboards. He found the bowl and measuring cups but he couldn't find the spoon.

Chat yanked open another cabinet door and something hard fell on his head. He flinched back and rubbed the injured spot, hissing quietly to himself. He saw the spoon on the floor by his foot and heard Marinette's stifled giggles behind him.

He turned to face her and found himself distracted. Her brilliant blue bell eyes shimmered against her flushed sky and her smile made the tips of his ears warm. He picked up the spoon and offered her a shy smile, "Found it?"

She walked towards him and plucked it from his clawed hand. Chat could smell the scent of strawberries wafting from her and it made his body tingle. "Silly Kitty." she murmured. Marinette dropped the spoon in the sink, grabbed another from the drawer by the fridge and turned back to the island.

"Okay, first you break the eggs like this." She poured the yolks into the measuring cup and threw the shells in the bin beneath the marble top. She handed one to him, but Chat didn't even need to try. His claws punctured through the hard shell and the contents fell into the cup.

Marinette covered her hand over her mouth. "Guess you're a natural then."

Chat did his best to fight his rising blush. He shrugged, "See, black cats don't always bring bad luck." She helped him pour the rest of the ingredients in the cup and told him to pour some flour into the bowl.

Chat ripped open the top of the bag and dumped all the contents in the bowl. The flour bounced back in the air, blowing on his face and covering a third of the table. He kept his eyes shut, but blinked when he heard Marinette coughing behind him.

She ran towards the sink and brought a damp cloth back with her. She bit her lip to hide her laughter, but Chat could clearly see the tears welling in her eyes. He glared half-heartedly. He shouldn't ask. He shouldn't ask.