IF ONLY. marichat | ✔️

sept

Chapter Seven: Happy Birthday, Juleka

Music booms in her ears as she navigates through the crowd of people. It's Juleka's sixteenth birthday and the turnout is wild! She runs into Alya, who's dancing with Nino. Marinette hangs with them for a bit, listening to how Nino got kicked off DJ duties. Apparently, the DJ Juleka's mom had hired had arrived late and Nino's services, as a fill-in, were no longer needed. The birthday bag that'd been hanging in the bluenette's hand, begins to weigh on her.

"Do you guys know where the gift drop off is?"

Alya nods her head. "It's right over there," she points to a nearby table.

She drops off her gift, engaging in small chat with Juleka shortly afterwards. This is her first time at a party like this; there's alcohol here, plenty of it and no parents to supervise. Marinette helps herself to a cup of the mysterious punch, sipping the liquid, feeling the burn in her throat. She coughs a few times, shocked.

Luka materializes, laughing at her reaction.

"Is alcohol supposed to hurt?"

"A little, yeah."

Marinette and Luka talk for almost an hour, making jokes and taking turns guessing what partygoers were thinking. She felt as carefree as she did when she was out on the balcony, her and the night view as company...with a new appearance of an alley cat. 

The more time they spent together, the more she drank. Her head started pounding. Maybe she shouldn't have had so many drinks. Note to self- never have five in one sitting again. Her vision splits, Marinette grabs onto Luka's arm to keep steady. 

"Follow me," he says.

She does.

They go off into a back room on the ship, he lays her on a bed. Marinette can barely keep her thoughts straight, much less understand what he's doing. She lays on the bed, wishing the headache would leave. Wishing she hadn't drank with the intention of blocking out her complicated feelings for Chat Noir. Drinking to numb Adrien's random date request from her frontal lobe. Yes, Luka kept her good company but he wasn't nary a thought on her mind. 

Between the bells shimmering in her ears, deafening her senses, she could've sworn she heard the rustling of metal. What could that be? Why did she feel like something was crushing her? There are so many Luka's and so close. 

The door opens, at least she thinks it does, and the weight and the Luka duplicates disappear. New duplicates take form and it's fucking Adrien. Marinette claws at his arms, his back, with nothing holding her anger back. Tears mixed with mascara roll down her face in loose waves. 

"Stop touching me!" She shouts until her body puts her in sleep mode.

Adrien ignores her, picking her up. He explains his situation to Alya and Nino and they fight over who's going to tell Jukleka her brother is a dirtbag. Adrien treads on, deciding he'll take her home. His plan is almost full proof, but how is he going to explain why he's holding their daughter? Fuck it. He heads inside. Marinette's parents chirp a hello, but are in another room. He trudges upstairs, relieved when he puts her safely on her bed. 

Despite his better judgement, he decides he'll wait with her until she wakes up. Father is out of town in New York for business and Nathalie joined, so he's parent-free for the weekend. Adrien will explain the situation to Marinette when she awakes...or should he leave a note? No, he can't because she'll notice his is the same as Chat Noir's. Maybe he should leave a text? Marinette really doesn't like him. He wouldn't be surprised if she tried to do him bodily harm again. 

Plagg flies in front of him. "Why are we still here? Or are you going to transform?"

"Should I?"

"It's not like she wants to see you. No offense."

He sighs. "I don't even know what I did wrong, other than she had a crush on me and I didn't notice."

"So, are you going to tell me to transform or can we get some camembert?"

"You just ate camembert."

"Answer the question," he deadpans.

"Claws out."

Marinette's eyes flutter open, seeing a cheeky black cat staring at her concerned. Her head feels like it's going to explode. What even happened? All she remembers is saying hi to Alya and Nino then dropping off Juleka's gift. So much of her memory has been eviscerated and she wonders if she wants those memories back. 

"How long have you been here?"

Chat shrugs. "Bout an hour. Didn't see you on the balcony and found you here asleep."

She shoots her friend a quick text about what happened tonight, then smiles up at the cat.

A lightbulb goes off in Marinette's mind. "Oh, I made you something."

Chat's cat ears go up. "You did?"

"Yeah," she digs through the items on the floor of her closet, finding the pajama's she'd knit. 

"Here you go."

The pajama's are red and black in tribute to Ladybug. After Chat Noir took her to the place Ladybug friend zoned him, she felt this would be a way to remember his feelings by. Truly, it was a guilt-ridden consolation prize, but he didn't need to know that. 

He hugs her. "No one's ever given me something like this. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go try it on."

Chat comes out, a glittering smile on his face, his Ladybug onesie a nice fit. 

He pulls the hood over his head. "Check meowt."

"You like it?" Marinette asks, doubts starting to creep in.

"I love it. Really," he looks her dead in the eyes.

"Okay."

"This is way cool. I'm going to have to get you one of these." Chat Noir winks.

"Something tells me you can't sew."

"True, true," he smirks,"but if there's a will, there's a way."

He had her there. 

"Princess?"

"Yeah?" The moment Marinette responds, solidifying this pet name, her face goes red.

He snickers. "Are you blushing, because my sexiness is overpowering?"

She ignores his question. "What were you saying?"

"Can I stay the night?"

"Isn't that what you've been doing every night?'