Amnesia [MARICHAT]

26

   Marinette instantly knew that it wasn't real. The way everything was fuzzy - it had to be another vision from the akuma.

   The knowledge didn't make it any better.

   Chat suddenly appeared, sitting on the railing of her balcony. His black leather tail swished back and forth behind him, dangling off the edge. "Hey, Princess," he said. "Why don't you come over here?"

   She didn't move an inch.

   He laughed, hopping down. "Don't be so shy, Marinette."

   She started to breathe faster. Where was this going? What was the akuma trying to accomplish?

   The fake Chat strolled towards her with his hands behind his back. "I want to show you something," he whispered in her ear.

   "What," she breathed, still not moving at all.

   "Look at me."

   She didn't.

   "Look at me."

   She did, alarmed by his harsh demand. It was so unlike him.

   And then he reached for his mask. She gasped, jerking backwards into the seat, and screamed.

   No. No! She would not allow some - some illusion to show her who she loved really was.

   The real Chat tore through the trapdoor so fast she was almost afraid that he'd broken it. He must have been able to see the vision, too, because he swiped his hand through it and it disappeared. "Marinette, are you okay? Marinette," he said desperately, holding her face in his hands. "What happened?"

   "I - there was another vision -"

   "I know, but are you hurt? Did it scare you?"

   It scared her, yes, but not in the way that he was thinking. She shook her head. "He was going to take off...your mask."

   He leaned back, releasing her. "You screamed because you were about to see who I was?"

   The way he said it, it sounded bad. "No, I -"

   He shook his head. "Never mind that. It might not have shown my face at all. I mean, how would the akuma know who I am?"

   He had a point. "Chat, I'm sorry... I just think it's safer if I don't know. And... I wouldn't want to learn that from anyone but you."

   His eyes bore holes into hers, and her muscles locked up. Chat Noir had become so intense. When she first met him, he was always jokes and playful flirting, even if she was Ladybug, but now... He seemed to be doing nothing but thinking, and wanting to protect her. Everything he did was for a strong reason.

   He walked away from her without a word.

//

   Marinette was heading out the front door of the bakery to go to school yet again when Chat dropped down from the roof next to her. That was their routine now. He always walked her to school and left right before everyone would be able to see him.

   "I'm walking you to the doors today," he said out of nowhere.

   Or to the doors.

   "Are you sure?" she asked. "Everyone will ask questions."

   "I want to be by your side for as long as possible. And I don't care about questions as long as you don't. You don't have to answer them."

   She really didn't care all that much, but he was speaking so much to her today that it felt strange. "Okay."

   When they reached the steps to the school, just like she thought, all the kids loitering by the doors looked to them. They didn't say a word to anyone until they reached the front, and he turned to her. "I want to speak to Ladybug when I get back, so make sure she doesn't leave before I get there."

  Oh no.

   "Okay."

   She had no idea what she was going to do.

   "Marinette!" called a familiar voice. Marinette turned to see Alya sprinting up the steps towards her.

   Oh no. Again.

   "Heyyy," Marinette said rather awkwardly.

   Alya got straight to the point. "Why is Chat Noir with you?"

   Chat shifted his weight. "Just escorting a lovely lady to school." He bowed. "But I must be going."

   That was the most normal she'd ever seen him in so long.

   "Wait," Alya grabbed his arm as he turned to leave. "DO you have a few minutes to answer some questions?"

   He seemed to consider it. "I do have to get to class."

   Marinette thought back to when he told Ladybug that he went tot he same school as her. It made her nervous to know that he was watching her and she would never know. A good kind of nervous.

   Alya's eyes narrowed. "So you go to school."

   Chat laughed, and God, the sound sent a shiver down Marinette's spine.

  "I'm a normal person, you know."

   Alya cracked a smile. She must have been joking. "Can you please answer a few questions? No one can seem to get a hold of you or Ladybug, and I'm sure your words will reassure Paris that we don't have anything to worry about."

   She was very persuasive. If she were Ladybug right now, even she would have stopped tot talk to Alya. Chat seemed to give in, probably because Marinette was early for once and he actually had time.

   "All right, but only a few. I really have to go."

   Alya grinned like she won her own television network. "Great!" She pulled out her phone from the side pocket of her backpack. "Okay, what do you have to say about the lack of akumas lately?"

   Chat shrugged. "I'm not sure. Hawkmoth has taken breaks before, it isn't completely unheard of. Maybe he's on vacation."

   Alya seemed to take this seriously. "Ladybug sent a message through the news a few weeks ago that she needed you to meet her on the Eiffel Tower. What was that about?"

   "Confidential information, I'm afraid."

   "Oh, come on. You can't even give us a hint?"

   Chat thought it over. "No."

   Alya sighed. "Okay, then when do you think the next akuma is going to show up?"

   "I have no idea."

   Chat wasn't being very helpful. It made Marinette want to laugh, if she forgot about her dilemma that was coming up this afternoon.

  "Are you almost done?" he asked, wincing. "I really need to go."

   "Last question. Are you in love with Ladybug?"

   "You always ask me this, but no. Now, I must be going." He turned to Marinette, gave her a nod, and vaulted away.

   Ever since he and Marinette had first kissed, he had stopped saying anything about loving Ladybug, be it to Alya or Ladybug herself. The flirting stopped, but the playful banter had always remained.

   Marinette had asked him once whether or not he was ever in love with Ladybug, and he had answered honestly. "Yes," he had said. "But not the way I love you."

   That had been the first time he had ever told her that he loved her.

   She missed those words from him, more than he could ever know.

Alrighty, and we're all up to date. The move is done! Man, lugging all that stuff over here...such a pain. (Those of you who are actually reading this chapter for the first time, just ignore me.)

The next chapter will be out soon!