CHAT NOIR's POV:
I stare at Marinette as she walks the streets at night. It's 10:12pm, and after many days of convincing, she has finally agreed to go on a real date with me.
I want to treat the girl that I love out on a romantic evening, to give her the kind of pampering and appreciation that she deserves.
She's really skeptical of the idea, afraid we'll get caught and have a senti-monster Ladybug situation all over again. But I think my plan is pretty solid.
She's meeting me in a secluded area, where I'll drop down and grab her, then take her to a date I've got set up somewhere even more hidden.
It should be enough to keep us out of the public eye. And if it's not? Oh well. I'll protect her, that much I'm capable of.
However, she doesn't know I'm trailing her right now. I couldn't stand the idea of her being out at night all by herself.
Looking at her, it doesn't take much convincing to make me believe she can handle herself just fine. I trust her to make smart decisions, and to be able to protect herself if something does go south.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng is the most beautiful, resilient and caring person that I've ever met. She's so smart and strong, and on top of that, she's so pretty it hurts.
I see everything I hold dear residing in those eyes of hers. She's perfect.
I never intended on her falling in love with me as Chat Noir. I wanted her to love me as Adrien, so I could date her publicly. I want so badly to be able to hold her and tell everyone 'this is my beautiful girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng'.
That very first night I visited her on her balcony, I was just out and about. I needed some fresh air, to get away from my stuffy house and my cold hearted father. My thoughts of getting to see Marinette soon at school led me towards her house. But I never intended on seeing her that night.
However, when I saw her and her eyes filled with despair, my heart broke. I knew she needed a friend more than anything, and I figured I could be her close friend as Chat Noir that she could lean on. And as Adrien, I could ask her out and maybe be her boyfriend.
I didn't mean for everything to get so muddled. I shouldn't have flirted with her so much, but I couldn't help it. I may have two identity's, but I have only one heart. And it screams for Marinette, only appeased when I have her in my arms.
Watching her, my heart soars knowing she has feelings for me in return. It makes me want to scoop her up and never let her go.
I love her. I really do. And I won't let anything keep us apart, I'll be there for her in whatever capacity she wants me to be.
I won't let even my father keep us away from each other. If ever comes a time when he stands in my way, I'll disobey him. I'll take my money and leave. I have enough in my name that I don't need my father to look after me.
I'll be 18 soon enough. And when I do, I won't need my father anymore. I love him, but I refuse to let him dictate every aspect of my life anymore.
Especially when it comes to who I love. If he wants to be miserable, then that's his decision. But I choose to be happy.
And Marinette makes me the happiest. When I'm with her I feel like all of my problems are slowly easing away. My mom would have loved Marinette, and that thought makes me happy in a bittersweet way.
I watch her duck into an alley, walking in a fast pace weaving in and out of side streets. When I see no one around, I quickly drop down in front of her. She lets out a seriously cute startled noise, her hand flying to her chest and the other hand smacking over her mouth.
"Shit, Chat! Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me." She exclaims, chest rapidly rising and falling. I force myself to tear my eyes away, focusing on her beautiful midnight blue eyes.
"Sorry, it looked like the perfect timing to intercept you. Ready for our date, Princess?" I grin, bowing down as I offer her my hand. Her giggle heals my heart, making my eyes snap up to hers just in time to see her link our hands together and pull me closer to connect our lips.
The kiss sends shivers down my spine, my heart quickly mimicking the beats of a frantic marching band.
"You look gorgeous." I whisper in her ear, pulling back to take a better look at my girlfriend. Or, well we aren't labeling it yet. But sooner or later she'll be my girlfriend. I'm certain of it, I see it in the way she looks at me.
A dark blush creeps up her neck, her cheeks turning rosy as she turns to hide her shy expression. It makes her all the more adorable. She's dressed in dark jeans and a pink transparent blouse that hangs loosely on her, a white spaghetti strapped tank top underneath. And of course her little pink purse draped across her chest, hanging against her hip. She's always so fashionable, the model in me can't help but admire that.
"Thank you. You look good too." She jokes, flicking the bell on my collar. I chuckle, the tension in my body slowly leaving me.
Being in her presence just makes everything better. The sun feels brighter, the moon feels larger, the stars feel more abundant. She makes the breeze smell sweeter and the grass feel softer. I love Marinette, and I'll spend forever kicking myself in the ass for taking so much time to realize it.
It wasn't until I spent so much time apart that I craved seeing her, and hearing her voice. That's when it clicked, that I need her in my life.
Because I'm so helplessly in love.
Marinette is why I can happily move on from Ladybug.
"Shall we?" Pulling her close, I try to ignore the way my heart hammers in my chest as though it's reaching out to touch her. I hold her tight as I extend my baton, taking off into the night sky.
I struggle to keep my attention on safely transporting us, using every ounce of strength I have to keep us moving forward while my mind is stuck on the pretty girl pressed against me. I'm always flustered when I feel her strong muscles, in the areas you would expect her to be soft and fragile.
I never knew Marinette worked out, or that I was into muscles. I guess being so infatuated with Ladybug should have given that away though, both Marinette and Ladybug rock some seriously attractive muscles.
About ten minutes later I bring us back to the ground, our feet connecting with a grass covered trail that doesn't look like it's been used in ages.
It's just a decent sized forest, nothing massive. Marinette hesitates, staring at the tall trees like she doesn't trust the situation. Her hand clutches her bag, eyes darting back and forth as she peers into the heavily wooded area.
"Relax, Princess. I'm here, I'll keep you safe. I got great cat-like vision." I wink at her, watching her shoulders relax as she softly giggles. I step behind her, taking a small black bandana I had tied around my wrist. "Trust me, okay?"
She stiffens slightly before I hear her let out a small sigh, allowing me to cover her eyes with the bandana. Linking her hand in mine, I lightly tug her along with me. She takes hesitant steps, lips pressed in a thin line.
"Easy does it, just this way. Good, good, yeah just like that. It's okay, ease up a bit, just trust me to lead the way. It's not far. Almost there. Careful, careful. Okay, okay we're just about there." I carefully coax her along, and after about five minutes of this, we reach the spot I set up our date. "Okay, just give me one minute, then I'll take off your blindfold, okay?"
I quickly work to switch on all the battery operated fake candles, making sure the picnic blanket has no wrinkles or dirt on it. I fluff the pillows for us to sit on, and grab the red roses I brought.
She deserves to feel loved, despite going through such a tough time. I want her to know she's not a burden. I'll sit through each and every rant that she needs to get off her chest. As long as she's always willing to talk to me, I'm here for her. And I'll happily show her all the love in the world for however long she'll let me.
I take a deep breath, leaning in to kiss her as I untie her blindfold. The startled breath she takes when my lips meet hers makes my head spin, my heart hammering wildly.
Letting the blindfold drop, her eyes stay closed until I pull my lips away, watching her carefully.
Her lip quivers as she takes in the roses in my hand, and the set up behind me.
"Chat.." she whispers, hands reaching up to cover her mouth as she looks at me again. Her eyes slowly become glossy, tears brimming on her waterline.
"Just a little something for the person I care most about in this world."
She takes the roses, a few teardrops sliding down her cheeks, her lips parted as she breathes in and out. She sniffs the flowers, a happy smile replacing the shocked expression.
"This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me." She says, her voice sounding like a tender angel in my ears.
"There's plenty more dates where this came from. Bet you're happy I convinced you to come out tonight." I smile at her, making her laugh as she wipes away her tears with the pads of her fingers.
"I am. I'm really, really happy." She throws her arms around my neck, giving me a tight hug. The smell of roses and her soap fills my nose, making me study this moment so I can permanently etch it into my mind forever.
I never want to forget this.
She pulls back slightly, but I keep her pressed against my body. She kisses me, her soft lips passionately working in tandem with my own.
I'm overwhelmed with everything that is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
I love you, Marinette. I look forward to the day when I can say this to you out loud.