maricat love story

Part 8-Dancing

"I'm so sorry!" Marinette squealed, covering her mouth as Chat's face contorted in pain. His sensitive foot throbbed painfully as she had stepped on it yet again. He had lost count of how many times it happened around the thirty-sixth time.

"It's fine Marinette. Let's try again." He said with a strained smile, trying to ignore the pain.

She stepped back and bent down, hugging her knees to her chest, "I can't do this. It was stupid to think I could."

"You can do it. You are Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you can do anything you set your mind to." Chat told her quickly, bending down to match her position, "Just be confident."

"Easy for you to say. You already know how to ballroom dance. Let's just face it Chat. I'm a klutz with zero coordination." She told him defeated.

He waited for a few seconds before raising his hand, lifting her face from her knees gently so he could look sternly into her eyes, "Stand up princess."

Her eyes tightened but she made no move to stand, "It is a lot harder for me than it looks and I don't think you realize that."

He let himself fall back on his behind and said it lightly, "Fine. We'll just sit here then." He crossed his legs and stared at her, his tail flipping lazily back and forth behind him. He rested his head on his fisted hand, propping himself up on his knee without ever taking his eyes off of her.

For nearly fifteen minutes, neither of them moved or said a word. Bluebell eyes were locked in an unspoken battle of wills against the pull of the piercing vibrant green ones staring back at her.

Finally she couldn't stand it anymore, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

His response was instant, "I'm trying to figure out who you are." He finally moved his fisted hand from his face, only to rest it on the other side in the same position.

She rolled her eyes, "You know who I am."

"I thought I did, but something's changed and I'm trying to figure out what it is." He said evenly. "The pigtails are there, and so are the cute freckles on your nose."

She blushed slightly but he kept going, "Your eyes are the same deep ocean blue. You are even wearing the same clothes as my princess, but there is no way you are her."

"Oh, and how have you reached that conclusion?" She asked with a touch of sass, making him smirk, "MY princess, is amazing at everything she does. She always puts her whole heart into everything she does. She will stare down the biggest of bullies without so much as batting an eye, and I have never seen her truly intimidated by anything. Besides the prospect of being forced to watch a horror movie."

She blew a raspberry, making him grin, "But you know, even if you share those qualities with her, there is one thing that sticks out above the rest. It's that one thing, that tells me you aren't her."

"Please, enlighten me oh great black cat of infinite wisdom." She snarked.

"You are giving up." He said simply, seeing her shock, "My princess would never give up."

"Some people just can't dance Chat Noir." She said evenly.

"You are not just 'some people'." He said firmly, seeing that she still wasn't moving from her position. He let out a soft sigh, "But I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to." He stood up and offered her his hand, "Come on, let me take you home."

She put her hand in his and he pulled her up with a small smile. She said it embarrassed, "I'm sorry I wasted all your time Kitty."

"My time spent with you is never wasted." He admitted, probably a little more lovingly than he should have.