Stray ~ A MariChat Love Story (Complete)

Chapter 13: Sleeping Beauty

It was long after dark and Adrien had just finished his homework for the next day. But Marinette hadn't stopped haunting his thoughts. Every math problem, every sum and every number somehow led his mind to her.

He loved their talks, how real he could be with her and how honest everything between them was. With Chat Noir she was different, not shy or reserved, and even managed to make him stutter. He groaned at the memory and Plagg flew up to him, smirking.

"What?"

The smirk didn't falter from Plagg's face and his eyes glinted mischievously, "Oh nothing." He sat down on the desk and stared down at Adrien's workbook. He frowned, "You know you should really start with it. I can tell you want to."

"What are you talking about?" asked Adrien, "I already finished everything."

Plagg rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Not that! Those lovesick doodles are your girlfriends do. So go on," he waved his tiny paw at the paper, "Get it out of your system so you can stop forgetting to feed me. I'm starving."

Adrien slammed the book shut and placed it back in his bag. "Camembert, all this for camembert." he sighed.

Plagg grinned and flew up to Adrien's face, "Marinette, all this for Marinette."

He scowled, "You know it's not like that. She's a great friend; easy to talk to, easy to laugh with and she even comes up with the same cat puns as me."

"Yes," he deadpanned, "You're both equally horrid at the same unnecessary things. What more could you possibly want in a girl?"

Plagg voice trailed off when he saw the block of cheese in Adrien's hands and, like a magnet, was instantly drawn to it. He grabbed it and sniffed it, mumbling incoherently to himself and Adrien moved away.

He walked over to his window and stared out of it. Streetlamps decorated the sides of the street, enveloping it in a soft, warm and romantic sort of glow. Cold and vacant, it called to him.

Gabriel Agreste was busy with meetings regarding his latest fashion show and Natalie told him he'd only be available early the next morning. She'd made sure Adrien knew not to bother him, but he already knew. Business first. Family second. It never changed.

But there was someone else he thought of. Someone else he desperately wanted to see. And he couldn't find the patience to wait until school in the morning.

"Plagg –,"

"Hold it!" he snapped. Adrien turned back to the kwami and watched as he hurriedly swallowed the cheese whole. He belched loudly and sighed. "Okay," he flew up to Adrien, "Now you can say it."

Adrien chuckled lightly and raised his ring in the air. "Plagg, claws out!"

And in a flash of green light he was Chat Noir. He leapt out into the cold night, the cool wind biting into his skin. The temperature had dropped substantially in the last couple hours because of a predicted cold front heading their way. Not that Chat minded. He wouldn't be out in the cold for that long anyway.

He raced across the rooftops at an inhuman speed and landed quietly on Marinette's balcony. He shuffled shyly towards the trapdoor and hesitated. His palms felt sweaty and his heartbeat quickened at the thought of seeing her again, her smile and hearing her laugh.

He couldn't understand it. Maybe he was getting sick. And even if he was worried about her reaction to seeing him this late it wasn't something unusual for him. The night belonged to Chat Noir and if she was asleep he'd just return home. No harm done.

But he still couldn't find the strength to knock.

Chat raised his hand to his hair and hissed. What was wrong with him? Why was this so hard? Stealing his courage Chat firmly gripped the handle and thought back to the time Marinette had slammed it against his hand.