Scars DISCONTINUED.

12

Maybe she had done wrong by this person and they just needed some time. She'd find a way to make it back up to them. Marinette takes a moment to stop sketching, yawning as she does so and rubbing her sore wrist. She leaned back into his chest, staring at the sky and snuggling back into the blanket. His breath tickled her neck and made her smile even softer as she giggled  and wrapped her arms around his. He wasn't suited up, instead he was wearing a ladybug hoodie and a mask she had made. Plagg was inside of her room eating some Camembert tarts she had made him earlier that afternoon, along with some macaroons she had thought he'd like to try.  

Paris was unusually quiet, or as quiet as a large tourist trap of a city could get. There wasn't much traffic for blocks around though so whatever honking was around could barely be heard by Marinette as she stared at the starless sky. She wished that she could turn off all of the city lights just so that she could see the twinkling ones that were supposed to illuminate the abyss that swallowed everything above her. She had heard about ancient myths where when heroes died sometimes they would be immortalized in the stars, forever watching over the people on the ground. For a brief moment Marinette wondered, hoped, that she would still be allowed to be a part of the sky above her, taking her place with the other heroes of times long past so that she could watch over the heroes of the new ages and the people that would look up to them for guidance and wisdom. That thought made her heart ache, like she would never be allowed up there because she had given something up, because she had been selfish and left everyone she should have protected behind.

But that was a silly thought, because Marinette was a designer and a baker, not a superhero. And maybe that was okay, she could be enough just by baking sweets and making clothes. She could do her part of making the world a better place without powers or some fancy suit. 

"Whatcha thinkin' about Princess?" Chat asks with a yawn and Marinette giggles again. "Nothing important Kitty, go back to bed." She says with a smile as he brings a hand up and gently cups her cheek, wiping tears away from her eyes with his thumb. "Must be important if you're crying." His voice is soft and his eyes are are welcoming, understanding despite not knowing. "I was just thinking about the stars is all, everything is okay, I promise." She tells him with a loving smile and he kisses her cheek, holding her closer to him and keeping her safe in his arms. "Wish we could see the stars," he whispers in her ear as he stares out into the sky. Marinette leans back with him and sighs, "Me too, but there's too much light pollution here to be able to see them," she responded. "Yeah, yeah there is." 

The next night Chat would come back with two armfuls of glow in the dark stars and planets. He'd give her a sheepish grin as he sat on her bed with them and scratch the back of his head after spilling the many packages around. "I know it's kinda cheesy but since we can't see the stars and I can't leave Paris in case of an akuma attack I bought some fake ones," and he flashed her that same nervous smile he'd get every time he saw her, like she was a delicate flower and if he held her wrong she'd crumple to pieces in front of him. Marinette's face lit up and she immediately threw herself onto him and landed on the bed in a huge hug laughing and thanking him and insisting they put them up together right then and there. So they did and while they used up one pack they threw the next one under a bright lamp Marinette had so that when they would turn off the lights they would hopefully glow bright. It took the better part of an hour and a lot of scuffling around as Marinette stood on Chat's shoulders so she could reach the ceiling or Chat would balance on the tip of his staff and they'd see how many he could put up without falling (his official score was twenty three). They played music and danced and competed to see who could put up the most and when they ran out of ceiling space they moved them to the walls too.

Marinette had gone downstairs to make them some lemonade and grab some of the left over strawberry, and whenever she came back up Chat had just finished placing down the blanket he had brought on the floor and Marinette could see he had moved the rest of the furniture as far out of the way as he could. "Would you care to join me in some light night stare gazing Princess?" He asks with a smirk and a bow. Marinette giggled and pretended to curtsy, "I do not believe the king would be very happy to find me stargazing with a stray dear kind sir." Chat's face immediately lightened up even more as he pretended to wield his staff like a sword. "Ah, but if he were to catch us I would simply tell him I was protecting you my dear," he swore, a mischievous smile breaking onto his face as Marinette walked over to him, now with an air of royalty around her. "And if he were to not believe you?" She asks, an eyebrow striking up with a challenge. "Then I shall come back the next night, and the next, and the next, if only in hope of staring at the stars we have made together your royal majesty." He responds, dropping to one knee and offering her his staff with both hands. "And if you are not welcome back?" She asks with a smirk. 

"Then end me right here your majesty, for this stray is welcomed no where else and would never want to be welcomed anywhere else other than your arms." He says dramatically as Marinette takes his sword. "Well, luckily for you you silly cat," she says with a giggle as she places the tray of drinks and snacks beside the blanket and stands up straight before touching the tip of his staff to each of his shoulders, "You are more than wanted here Sir Chat Noir, now rise, you shall be my official knight. My sworn protector, so long as you are up for the task?" She asks, her smile bright and so full of happiness that he springs up, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her forehead. "As long as you'll have me, I'll be right here beside you." 

They stay like that for a minute, Marinette's face a bright shade of pink and a dopey smile on her face, Chat holding her close to him as he tucks her head under his chin, blushing when he notices Marinette's mom giving him the thumbs up, hidden underneath the partially opened the trapdoor. She holds up her phone and mouths that she has pictures and to have fun before slowly sneaking away. He laughs, glad that at least Marinette's mother approves, and then quietly mentions that they should watch the stars before they lose their glow with a smile. Marinette nods and climbs up to her bed to grab her big cat pillow while Chat slowly goes around and turns off all of the lights. When he gets to the last one, the simple light bulb and light switch, he tells her to sit down and close her eyes and she does. When he's sure that she's not peeking and really can't see ("Are you sure you can't see?" "Yep." "Really?" "Uh-huh." "One hundred percent?" "Yes Chat, now turn that damn light off and get over here!" "Whatever you say Princess."), he flips the switch, whispering for Plagg to let up the transformation as he puts the mask from yesterday back on and moves over to Marinette, refusing to look up as he sits next to her and takes her hand in his. "Open your eyes," he says softly, and she does, and the sight of the plastic glowing stars takes her breath away. "They're gorgeous," she whispers back, her grip tightening on his hand as she leans her head onto his shoulder. 

He leans back with her and together they make their own constellations, their own heroes imprinted forever onto Marinette's ceiling. New stories and new myths to tell each other and add onto whenever they wish. They laugh and tell stories for hours on end, as the night turns from Saturday to Sunday, never once letting their smiles fall and their laughter cease for longer than a minute. Marinette kisses Chat's cheek before she falls asleep wrapped in his arms, the stars and constellations engraved into her mind and, for once, not feeling any anxiety for the first time in a long long time.