Only Fools Fall (Marichat)

Falling

The sunset was absolutely stunning tonight. The different hues bending and mixing together so harmoniously — almost as if powered by some sort of worldly magic that was so obvious yet exceedingly unexplainable. Marinette couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture the moment (even if it wasn't her usual sketching style.) Her pencil danced along the paper with ease, creating the harsh skyline and melting into the soft bends and creases of each layer. She pulled herself away from the book just enough to examine her current work. It didn't do it enough justice but it would have to do to until she could bring herself to stand and get ahold of her colors.

Just as she was about to set back to her current mission she saw the dark silhouette of an all too familiar feline hero. She'd seen him just hours earlier when they had been saving the Parisians from yet another one of Hawk Moth's akuma attacks. And not even an hour ago when they had both done their routine patrol around the city. But this time is was different. During those instances she was Ladybug — heroine of Paris — but now? She was simply Marinette. Simply ... herself. These visits between Chat and civilian had become a regular thing. And strangely she didn't mind it. It was a chance for them to both be themselves. She felt comfortable around the hero regardless, but she didn't feel as annoyed with him like this.

"Hello mon chaton," she greeted without looking up from her work. "What brings you around here this merveilleuse soirée?"

Once she finished the last stroke of her pencil, she placed it down beside her and looked up, blue meeting electrifying green as they stared at each other, a small smile already forming at the corners of the female's mouth. His eyes always seemed to hold this sort of power over her as Marinette — almost hypnotizing her in a sense. Even though that affect didn't last long it was still something she couldn't deny. She also couldn't deny that she somewhat liked it. She liked the moments where she could just get lost in them for a bit.

She was brought out of her own mind and back into reality at the sound of his laugh, low and sweet. "What? Am I not allowed to visit my purrincess?"

"Four years of visits and you would think that you would be able to come up with better material."

"Oh, how my princess wounds me!" She let out a soft giggle as she watched the other place a hand over his heart in mock pain. "But in all seriousness? I really did want to see you Mari. It's been a few days and I missed my favorite person."

He offered her a genuine smile and it almost stopped her heart. Wait. No. You aren't into him Marinette. Stop that. She returned his smile and let out a small laugh before patting the spot beside her, biting the inside of her cheek when she felt his leg brush against hers as he sat. What was wrong with her tonight? She shook it off and simply picked her sketch book and pencil up again.

The next hour or so went by in a familiar and comfortable silence as he watched her create what he would always describe as 'perfection in the purest form of artwork.' The only thing that finally broke the stillness between them was his voice, whispering softly against her shoulder.

"To drift with every passion till my soul
Is a stringed lute on which all winds can play,
It is for this that I have given away
Mine ancient wisdom, and austere control?
Methinks my life is a twice-written scroll
Scrawled over in some boyish holiday
With idle songs for pipe and virelay,
Which so but mar the secret of the whole,
Surely there was a time I might have trod
The sunlit heights, and from life's dissonance
Struck one clear chord to reach the ears of God:
Is that time dead? Lo! with a little rod
I did but touch the honey of romance—
And must I lose a soul's inheritance?"

He blinked and cleared his throat, unsure what over took him at the moment. He normally kept anything like that to himself. And since when did she invoke this side of him? Sure, she was as beautiful and precious as the clearest of Parisian nights during a summer's eve. But not once in the four years that he'd known her had she ever brought on such thoughts.

"Oscar Wilde? He's my favorite..." The soft, almost angelic sound of her voice brought him back to reality and he couldn't help but blush, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"M-mine too. I, uh, it's late. I should get back."  

Before he had a chance to get up she had grabbed his hand, causing him to look back at her.
"... Sit closer love: it was here I trow
I made that vow,
Swore that two lives should be like one
As long as the sea-gull loves the sea,
As long as the sunflower sought the sun,—
It shall be, I said, for eternity
'Twixt you and me!
Dear friend, those times are over and done;
Love's web is spun.
Good night, Chat..." She offered a small smile before letting go of his hand and simply turning her attention back to her sketchbook, leaving his head reeling as he headed off in the night.

•••

Adrien let out a low groan as he flopped down on to his bed, looking up at Plagg with a look of dread. "What's the matter with me?! I've never just... blurted out poetry verses in front of her before— as Adrien or Chat Noir!"

The cat-like Kwami simply laughed and floated down onto the boy's stomach. "You're falling in love with her, Adrien. That's what's wrong with you."

"But how?? I still love Ladybug! It's impossible to love two people at the same time..."

•••

"It actually isn't as impossible as you think, Marinette. You are capable of loving two people at once. Remember when you fell for both Luka and Adrien? This is just... a slightly more complicated case."

Marinette sighed softly and offered her Kwami a warm smile before tapping its forehead with her pinky. "You're too smart for your own good, Tikki."

Tikki let out a soft giggle and smiled at her Chosen. "I'm simply just doing my best to keep you calm. Now, it's late and we both really need to get some sleep." With that the little Kwami gave Marinette a kiss on her nose and settled in beside her before they both fell into a peaceful slumber.