POUND IT! (On hiatus until my brain cooperates with me...)

Chapter Twenty One

"Are you okay Chat Noir? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Yeah, I'm fine." Chat said, rubbing his empty wrist.

"Good. Now help me put these photos up." She handed him a stack of photos.

Chat growled at the top photo. It was a picture of Marinette sitting in Luka's lap, playing the guitar with Luka's hands over hers, guiding them across the guitar. "Um Princess, who is he?" He stared at the photo in disgust.

"Oh, that's Luka." She said, sort of dreamily.

"And what's your relationship with Luka?" He asked, mocking her dreamy tone.

"Relationship? No, he's just a friend." Marinette blushed slightly.

Chat smiled in relief, he'd never been more happy to hear those four words come out of her mouth. He decided to have a little fun with this, he walked closer to her, "And what do you think of me now?" He whispered in a deep voice.

Marinette turned a deep crimson, "Y-you're j-just a-" Then she smirked, "Hey, don't you mean me-ow?"

"P-Princess, was that a cat pun?" He asked in mock disbelief.

She shrugged, "I learned from the best."

'I think I'm falling in love with you again.' He thought.

"F-falling in l-love with m-me?" She blushed the color of her superhero suit.

Shoot! Had he said that out loud? "S-sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Marinette," He blushed, "I was just singing the lyrics to a song my friend wrote." He rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"Oh, so you're n-not in l-love with me?" She asked. Was that disappointment on her face?

"Yeah..." He looked at her clock, "Shoot! Nathalie's gonna kill me!"

"Nathalie?"

"Oh um, she's my dad's girlfriend. You know, the one I told you about?" He started to leave, "Good night Princess-" He tried to leap, but his tail was being pulled back.

"Wait. Stay the night." She let go of his tail, "After all that has happened today, with Adrien and getting akumatized, I really need a-" She corrected herself, "I need you."

Chat looked at Marinette, he awkwardly smiled, "See, it's a bit of an embarrassing thing, but I've never actually never had a sleepover. I don't even have a sleeping bag!"

"That's okay, you can sleep with me!" Then, realizing what she had just said, she blushed furiously, "O-only if y-you're comfortable with th-that." She stammered.

Chat blushed red, Marinette wanted him to sleep with her? But he would do anything to make his Princess happy again, he'd just have to suffer the embarrassment. "Yeah, okay!" He said, rubbing his neck.

"Great! I'll go get my pajamas and I'll make a pair for you too!" She rushed off to her desk to avoid any more embarrassment.

Chat's stomach grumbled. Right! With all that had happened, he had not eaten dinner, "Hey Princess, I'm feeling hungry."

Marinette blushed, then she realized that he was actually hungry, she stared at her untouched cup of noodles, "Here, eat this." She shoved the cup at Chat Noir, "I'm gonna go see if we have a quiche or something."

"Can I come too?" Chat asked, imagining the yummy foods he could eat.

"Now now, kitty," She flicked his bell, "How would I explain to my parents what the famous Chat Noir was doing in my room at this hour?"