Does he remember?

Chapter Five

"You're my new pillow", Chat Noir snuggles against Marinette's stomach as they lie in bed. 

"You're very endearing when you're half asleep", Marinette smiled, continuing to work on designs on her iPad.

"You smell really nice", his voice is muffled from her clothing.

Marinette laughed. "I think you're just saying random things now."

"I love your hugs", Chat Noir squeezed her tighter, ignoring her previous statement.

"Can you please stay?" Marinette asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"I want to", Chat Noir propped his chin up on her stomach to glance up at her. "But I don't think I can."

"Why?" 

"Because my father will see that I'm gone in the morning", Chat Noir sighed, resting his chin on her stomach.

"You don't need to leave so soon, right?" 

"Not until at least 6 in the morning", he mumbled, his eyes growing heavy with exhaustion.

Marinette grazed his face with her finger. "I wish you didn't have to deal with that so you didn't have to worry about waking up. It'd be easier if you just stayed over considering how exhausted you are."

"I'm sorry I'm so tired", Chat Noir opened his eyes slightly.

"Don't apologize for that", Marinette smiled, planting a small peck on his forehead. "Get some sleep. I'll set an alarm for 6 so you don't have to worry about what time it is."

"You're the best thing I could ask for in someone. But even better", Chat Noir mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

"Goodnight, kitty", Marinette smiled, happy that those were the last words she would hear someone speak today, and they were the best words.

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"Hey", Marinette whispered to Chat Noir as she watched him wake up to the alarm. 

"It's nice that your voice was the first thing I heard today", he smiled at her.

"It's nice that your face was the first thing I saw today", Marinette mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Your bed-head is really cute", Chat Noir laughed, unable to stop watching her.

"Shut the hell up", Marinette grabbed a pillow beside her, limply hitting him with it. Chat Noir laughed as he went down the ladder from her bed. "Come back to bed."

"Princess", Chat Noir smiled, climbing up the ladder just enough so he could see her. "I'm gonna miss you. I'll see you tonight?"

"Please shut up. I can't stand how appealing your voice is", Marinette said weakly, slowly drifting back into sleep.

"Goodbye, Marinette", Chat Noir leaned over her, kissing her forehead.

Marinette smiled in response, too tired to respond with words. Chat Noir almost laughed at how tired she was but still made an attempt to say goodbye to him somehow.

After Chat Noir had left, Marinette fell back into sleep for a few more hours until her body woke her up. Around 9, Marinette got dressed, deciding to go for a walk since it was nice out. 

"Tikki, let's go for a walk", Marinette said, handing Tikki a macaroon. 

"I'm not a dog, Marinette", Tikki giggled. 

"It's so pretty out", Marinette commented as she walked by the park next to her house. Once Marinette reached the Eiffel Tower, she took out her phone, snapping a photo of it. Sure, she sees it all the time but she can't seem to get over how pretty it is. 

Just as she took the picture, an immense and robust force caused Marinette to keel over, her head hitting the ground. She was falling in and out of consciousness, a new area appearing every time she woke up as if she was being carried somewhere.

Tikki hid in Marinette's purse until the movement had stopped. She peaked out of the bag, only to find themselves in a dark, closed space. Tikki went through the dark wall, discerning the fact that they were on top of the Eiffel Tower, stowed away in a dark box where Marinette could not be found. 

Tikki didn't wanna leave Marinette alone, but she had to find help. She found herself on her way to Adrien's house, in hope of getting help from him. She wasn't sure as to what he could do, but he would be of more help than her. 

"Chat Noir!" Tikki yelled as soon as she found Adrien sitting on his piano bench. 

"Tikki?" Adrien pushed the bench back, standing up immediately. His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes filled with worry, as he knew something was wrong. "What's going on?"

"It's my owner", Tikki glanced at the Eiffel Tower in the distance. "She's in trouble."

"But if she's not Ladybug right now, and I have to help her, wouldn't this reveal her identity?" Adrien questioned in worry. 

"It's a risk we might have to take", Tikki stressed. "To save her."

Adrien transformed into Chat Noir before he and Tikki took off to the Eiffel Tower. Once Chat Noir arrived, he had found the box Marinette was stowed away in. Although, he thought to himself that it couldn't be that easy to get her back just like that. It had to be a trap. Someone did this to her on purpose to lure him there. 

Chat Noir cautiously approached the area, observing every direction to sense any instantaneous movements his eye could catch. His eye caught sight of a familiar face hiding behind a pillar on the Eiffel Tower; Mayura. 

Chat Noir hurriedly whispered to Tikki, "transform her right now."

"She needs to summon me", Tikki stressed.

"Try your best to wake her up", Chat Noir pleaded.

Tikki swept back inside the box, shaking Marinette. She woke up, but wasn't talking nor opening her eyes. Still going in and out of consciousness. 

"Chat Noir", Tikki surrendered. "This isn't going to work. You're going to have to cataclysm the box in order to save her."

"Mayura will follow me", Chat Noir stressed. 

"I'll take care of that", Tikki smirked.

He stared at the box, knowing there was an unconscious Ladybug in there. He was about to find out who she really was. It felt wrong of him to do, but he had to save her. He wasn't sure how to feel, but in this moment all he felt was guilt.

"Cataclysm", Chat Noir summoned his power, pressing his palms to the outer side of the box as it disintegrated under his touch. He tried not to glance at the girl inside, but it was hard not to when she was so familiar. For a brief moment, he let himself process what he was seeing before he snapped back to reality. 

He scooped her up in his arms carefully before using his baton to let them down from the Eiffel Tower as safe as possible. Tikki on the other hand used her power in order to distract Mayura by creating a giant jar of honey in which trapped her from following Chat Noir. 

Chat Noir made it back to Marinette's room, placing her on her bed as Tikki returned. 

"Was it taken care of?" Chat Noir questioned Tikki. 

"Yeah, you could say she's in a sticky situation", Tikki giggled at her own joke. 

"Don't tell Ladybug- I mean Marinette about that", Chat Noir warned.

"Are you okay?" Tikki softly asked.

"Marinette is Ladybug. Ladybug is Marinette", Chat Noir said more to himself than to Tikki. "I think I fell even more in love."