To Fall

Mama's Boy

Chat froze, his heart stopping at her words. His ice eyes found her blazing blue, Marinette stalking towards him and her fists clenched. She stopped in front of him and her hand snapped out, the slap louder than that of the one she landed on Luka and sending his face to the side. The pain spread across his face and he turned his head back to look at her, a sigh escaping him.

"I deserved that."

Marinette fumed in front of him, hands clenching at her fists as she attempted to control her anger. She wanted so desperately to call on Tikki and attack, sending the murderer to an early grave. She shook as she stared at him in hatred, tears threatening to fall. 

"Do you have any fucking remorse for what you have done? Do you even care!?" 

Chat looked down as she verbally assaulted him, each word like a stab. "Kitten, I-" She slapped him again, her teeth bared and eyes narrowed.

"My name is Marinette. Use it."

Chat nodded and rubbed his cheek, eyes locked on the floor. "I'm sorry Marinette. Had I known you were close to the cops.." He trailed off, suddenly unsure of his own words. He would what? Defy his master more than he already did? Carried it out as planned? Marinette looked at him expectantly, arms crossing and foot tapping as she waited.

"You would have what Chat? What would you have done besides the fucking hell you put them through?"

Chat bit his lip, claws coming up to prop himself up against the counter, his legs threatening to give out. He looked down in shame as she gripped his bell and pulled him forward, her knee slamming into his stomach and doubling him over. He fell to one knee, groaning as she delivered another kick to his side. 

"You attacked innocent people! Innocent people trying to bring answers to grieving families, families you took loved ones from! You are a killer, a coward and a sick fucking person! I had hope for you, you know! That day you showed up."

His head snapped up to her as she threw her shirt off, his bite standing out against her bare skin. "I thought, even for just a moment, that there was something different with you. I thought maybe you were just misunderstood and had good reason to do what you did. But no! You just keep hurting people!"

She turned away from him and began pacing, her anger flaring as he made no move to stand, his eyes watching her. She turned back to him and threw a cold glare in his direction.

"I will never belong to someone who can carelessly hurt those I care about. You want me to give a damn about you? How about doing something worth a damn." 

Chat rose quickly and grabbed her, pulling her to him and gripping her arms tight. His icy eyes bore into her as his arms shook. "If you just gave me a chance to explain to you! If you understood why-" Marinette pulled herself from his grasp and jumped back, eyes hard and fists clenched.

"What could you possibly say to make this okay!? What could possibly be worth all of this!?"

"My fucking mother!"

Marinette froze, her eyes widening as Chat shook in front of her, his eyes hard and his fangs bared. He drew himself back up to height and put his cold gaze on her, stalking back to her and towering over her in a sense of danger. His eyes were a blaze of emotions, regret and hurt dancing together. He gently pulled her back to him and wrapped her in an embrace, tightening his hold as she struggled against him.

"You have to understand that I didn't have a choice Marinette. I didn't choose to be this, nor did I fucking want to."

His voice cracked as he struggled to keep his emotions down, willing her to understand his struggle. Marinette stopped struggling in his grasp, her breath evening out as she calmed slightly. 

"Chat."

He looked down at her and frowned, her glare looking back at him. He released her slowly and his heart ached as she put distance between them. She held up a hand to stop him as he opened his mouth, walking back to her balcony door and pointing a finger toward the ocean.

"I don't trust myself to listen to anything you have to say right now. I want nothing more than to kill you and hang you and your miraculous from the MPD flagpole."

Chat nodded sullenly as he walked forward to the balcony, his eyes low as he passed her. He could not force her to listen, yet her statement held hope for a future conversation. He pulled out a piece of paper from his bell slit, handing it to her as he passed. She raised an eyebrow as she took it, turning it in her fingers. 

"When you are ready to hear me out Marinette, that is my number. No, it's not my civilian number so don't even try."

Marinette huffed but accepted the number, watching as he stood on the balcony, the moon reflecting off his white suit and his hair whipping in the wind. She pursed her lips before stepping forward, grabbing his arm and catching his attention. He looked at her questioningly as she held her hand up, her pinky extended. 

"Swear to me that you won't kill anyone anytime soon. Swear that to me, and I swear to at least start to hear you out."

Chat stared at her with wide eyes before quickly linking his pinky with hers, a small smile on his face. "That won't be as easy of a task as you think, but for you it is worth a try." He stepped forward and fingered the mark on her shoulder, hope dancing in his eyes.

"After all, I have to give you reason to be mine."

Marinette rolled her eyes as he stepped back and jumped onto the railing, a quick salute sent her way before he jumped. Marinette stayed where she stood, looking at her hand where Chat's had just been. Sighing, she walked back inside to her phone and dialed Luka, the rocker picking up on the second ring. 

"Melody, about earlier-."

"Can you come over?"

The line was quiet, and Marinette worried she had over stepped. A soft chuckle came from the other line and Luka's voice carried out to her. 

"Bold of you to assume I even left the parking lot."

Marinette chuckled lightly at his antics, the laugh a welcome release. She could hear Luka let out his own laugh and her heart warmed. "I'll be right there Melody." Marinette smiled softly and moved to sit on her couch, getting comfortable as she ended the call. Her mind drifted as she sat.

She loved Luka, in more than one way. He was her partner, her best friend and her biggest comfort through the years. Then Adrien had come in and started working his way into her heart, his stoic and calm attitude attracting her to him. Their night at Becca's stuck in her mind and she couldn't pretend that it didn't happen.

Her mind took a sharp turn to dangerous as Chat filled her head, his earlier breakdown haunting her. She knew she shouldn't feel anything other than pure hatred for the man. Yet somehow, ever since that night he first appeared on her balcony, he had haunted her fantasies. Marinette cleared her thoughts as Luka knocked on her door and she rose to answer. Adrien and Chat didn't matter right now. 

All that mattered was her and her viper.