Contradiction || Marichat AU

Chapter 10: An Anthophile

09-12-4:28, 8:40 pm

"You know what's weird, Marinette?" A red kwami, Tikki, hovered before her face.

"What," said the girl flatly, pushing the shower curtain away.

"Just four days ago, Chat Noir told you, about how you, as Ladybug treated him as a sidekick," said the kwami of creation with skepticism in her little eyes, "and today, you gave him the chance to be in charge.

"Then he told you that you smelled bad as a joke, when you know that you've already showered this morning. And yet you showered again—"

"That's enough, Tikki." Marinette wrapped a white, pleasant-smelling robe around her body. "He may have been partially correct about me liking to lead our fights. And that's only because he doesn't know how—"

"He could learn if you'd given him the opportunity way earlier." Tikki folded her arms.

Marinette was speechless. "But I just showered because...I felt like it."

"That can be damaging to your body you know. You should've just taken a half-bath or something without wetting your hair. Your skin would get drier," she chastised.

The blunette went out of the bathroom, turned off the light, and made her way to her room. "Lotion exists you know," said Marinette, then hearing a loud thud from upstairs.

"Marinette, you okay? What's that noise?" Her father called out.

"Er— nothing! Just that stray cat I used to feed!" she responded nervously.

Marinette furiously opened the trapdoor, not even the least surprised to see Chat Noir standing in the center of her room, with the loft hatch ajar.

"Why are you here?!" asked Marinette, fuming and pointing a criticizing finger.

Chat Noir had a mischievous grin playing along his lips as he only ambled closer to scratch her chin. "You look like an angry little gremlin."

"You disgust me." She pushed his head away. "And that doesn't answer my question."

"I-I thought you said I could come at any time? You were so enthusiastic about it too," said Chat Noir, looking at her like she was joking.

Marinette looked at him in pure disbelief, simply dumbfounded. "You don't...understand sarcasm?"

"That was sarcasm?"

Her eyes were almost two times wider and much more threatening as she wore on a smile. "You'd think I want you to waltz in here again after troubling me with that annoying fever of yours?"

He bowed as though he was some sort of knight. "I sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding, princess," said the blonde, "allow me to redeem myself."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible," said Marinette.

He twisted the ends of the pink towel wrapped around her hair. "Let me help you with this, please?" Chat Noir then took the towel from her hair, her midnight-like locks unraveling, as he hung the towel on her chair momentarily.

"How..." Marinette could barely comprehend what was happening. How did he manage to defuse her temper so fast?

Chat Noir glanced to a hairbrush on Marinette's desk, then back to her confused face. "You have a hairdryer don't you?"

"It's in my bathroom," said Marinette.

Minutes later, she came back with an (unsurprisingly), pink hairdryer. Marinette hesitantly handed it to the hero, as he plugged it in an outlet near the chaise. "Come, sit." He sat down on the soft chair, patting the space in front of him.