The Chase | Miraculous (complete)

c h a p t e r 4

Marinette lay in bed feeling sleep overtaking her when she heard a noise in her bedroom.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of anything in the darkness when a silhouette of a boy with cat ears and a tail came nearer to her.

Marinette smiled to herself even though Chat Noir couldn't see her and she turned on the bedside light. The room was lit up in a cosy orange glow and Marinette hopped down from the bed, no longer feeling in the slightest bit tired.

'Hey, Princess.' Chat murmured as he neared her. Marinette could feel her face getting warmer as he came closer and looked down at her. He smiled and Marinette felt like she was flying. Neither said anything as Chat Noir reached up and gently tucked a loose strand of Marinette's dark hair behind her ear.

She blushed and looked down, feeling embarrassed. Chat tilted her chin up with his fingers and asked quietly 'You wanna go out for a ride, Princess?'

There was a pause.

'No.'

'What?' Chat asked suddenly suprised.

'Stop it, Chat. I know what you're doing.' She said, not looking him in the eye.

'What am I doing?' he asked quietly, hurt.

'Stop making me fall for you.'

Whatever it was that Chat had expected her to say, it wasn't this.

He didn't know whether to be happy that Ladybug, wait you don't know if she is Ladybug yet, had finally fallen in love with him, or upset that Marinette had rejected his request.

Neither moved for what seemed like a good few minutes before Chat cleared his throat.

'Aren't I good enough, Princess?' he asked, his voice cracking. He didn't know why but he suddenly felt as though every part of his body was clenched up in order not to let a tear spill. Why did he feel this way?

Marinette shook her head, 'It's not that, it's just-' she started.

'Just what?' Chat asked, desperate to keep her talking to find out what she meant.

'It's just that there's this boy...' she trailed off.

'There's a boy?' he asked, his big green eyes widening.

Marinette didn't say anything, just looked at the floor, timidly.

'What's his name?' Chat asked as calmly as he could.

'It doesn't really matter. He never notices me anyway.' Marinette sighed and sunk down onto her desk chair.

Chat knelt at her feet and held her hands in his.

'Whoever this boy is, Princess, then he doesn't deserve you if he doesn't notice you.' Chat said fiercely.  He hated this boy with a passion now. How dare he break his Princess's heart! He would pay!

'Can you tell me his name?' Chat asked, hopefully.

Marinette sighed and her eyes closed. 'No, Chat.'

Chat smiled despite everything. 'Okay, Princess.' He would find out.

Chat moved swiftly to the open window in which he had arrived through, sorrow filling his heart.

'Chat?' Marinette called from behind him. Chat turned round to look at her one last time.
'I'm sorry.'

'It's okay.' he said. 'I get it, Marinette. I'm the one who's sorry.' and he leapt out into the night.

Chat ran up on top of the rooftops, the wind biting at his face making his eyes sting with the sudden cold and then he felt the hot wet tears travel down his face.

Chat stopped. Was he crying? Crying because both Marinette AND Ladybug had rejected him? They had to be the same person, right? Maybe that was why. And this boy... Whoever he was, he was breaking his Lady's heart and he wasn't having it.

🐞

Marinette awoke late the next morning as usual. She showered and got dressed silently without a word to Tikki, the events of last night still filling her thoughts.

It was only then that she looked at the time and realised that she was super late.

Marinette raced up the school steps at half past nine and crept quietly into class, hoping that Miss Bustier wouldn't notice. If she did, she didn't say anything.

🐞

Adrien watched as Marinette credit quietly into class. He continued to take in her every move and suddenly felt a pang if jealousy towards whoever this boy that she had a crush on. He looked around. Nino? Definitely not. Besides he knew how much Marinette loved him and Alya together. Nathaniel? Nope, she had already rejected him once when he had been akumatized and had asked for Chat Noir's help. Iven? No, again, Mylenne and Iven were perfect and Marinette would never do that. Kim? Max? The list went on and Adrien still hadn't found the perfect solution.

'Adrien!' Adrien snapped out of his daydream and looked up at his teacher. 'Do you know why Arron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton?'

'Because Arron realised that the only reason be had failed in everything was because of Hamilton and the only common thread had been his disrespect.' Adrien muttered. He hadn't been listening but he knew that much at least.

He heard a sigh of relief behind him. Did someone just sigh as if worried that he would get it wrong or wouldn't know the answer? Adrien turned around to look right at Marinette who was staring right at him. As he turned to look at her she turned bright pink and tried to refocus her gaze. Adrien just smiled sadly at her. Maybe the boy that she liked wasn't in this class... He had to know who it was! Then a thought suddenly struck him. Alya must know. The odds of her telling him were sparse though, but she hung out with Nino a lot, so maybe....?

After the bell had gone, signalling lunch break, Adrien didn't linger to watch Marinette, he just grabbed Nino by the arm and lead him out into the yard and into a corner under the stairs.

'What's up, dude?' Nino asked, curiously.

Adrien decided to make it sound like he wasn't so desperate to find out so approached the topic carefully.

'You spend a lot of time with Alya, right?' Adrien asked.

Nino blushed. 'Yeah well-'

'Does she ever talk to you?' Adrien asked, hoping he didn't sound weird '-about Marinette?'

Nino looked suprised, but replied nonetheless. 'Yeah, sometimes. Why, what's up, dude?'

Adrien took a deep breath. Why was this so hard?  'Did she ever tell you if she had a crush on anyone?' Adrien asked feeling his the colour rise in his face.

Nino laughed out loud. 'Of course, dude! She has this crazy crush on someone!'

Adrien studied him carefully. Was he messing with him? 'Then, who is it?' Adrien asked slowly, wondering if he really did want to know the answer or not.

Nino looked a little embarrassed and looked around carefully to make sure no one around them was listening.
'Alya would kill me if I told you!' he muttered.

'Please, Nino, my life depends on it!' said Adrien desperately. 'Besides, Alya would never know if you told me!' he persuaded.

Nino didn't look convinced. 'Fine.' He said, defeated. 'But if she finds out, then it's your fault and I had nothing to do with it.' said Nino.

'Come on, Nino!' Adrien begged him.

Nino took a deep breath. 'It's you, bro.'