Stray ~ A MariChat Love Story (Complete)

Chapter 5: A Bit of Bad Weather

Adrien had never seen it pour like it did that day. The sky was consumed with dark angry clouds and the wind roared with every gust. He pressed his forehead against his window and sighed, listening to the sound of Plagg munching on another piece of Camembert.

"So your date's cancelled then?" muttered Plagg, "Such a shame." He swallowed the rest whole and fell back on Adrien's bed, "So, what now?"

Adrien wasn't too sure. He couldn't abandon Marinette. He'd said he'd be there and that was exactly where he intended to be. He was just going to have to suck it up and run there. Adrien reached up and opened the window, flinching at the cold air that flooded inside his room.

Rain fell inside, drenching his arms and tussled blonde hair. He withdrew his hand and allowed the wind to slam the window shut again.

"No!" Plagg flew under the bed. "I'm not going out in this weather just so you can talk to a girl. No way. Not gonna happen!"

"I made a promise, Plagg." replied Adrien. He sat down on the edge of the bed and Plagg flew up to his face.

He crossed his tiny arms over his chest and glared, "Well whose dumb idea was that? Oh, right! Not mine!" Adrien reached up to grab him, but Plagg flew higher and moved over to Adrien's desk. A small collection of the Valentine's Day cards he'd kept sat neatly on a pile by his computer screen.

"I mean look at this." Plagg huffed and sifted through the cards, throwing them on the floor. "Blondie, Glasses..." He stopped at one. A pink heart shaped card with the answer to his poem. It was never signed, but Adrien always hoped it was from Ladybug.

Plagg brought it over to Adrien and dropped it distastefully in his lap. "Seriously, Kid. You could pick any girl in Paris and you choose the ones that need me."

Adrien glared at his kwami. "Quit whining, Plagg. You've probably never had a single thought that wasn't about cheese."

"Why would I? Anything else is a waste of time. And when you're over five thousand years old you learn to appreciate it."

Adrien glanced back out the window. The storm was getting worse and Natalie would check up on him soon for his piano lessons. If he wanted to go to Marinette's and make it back in time, he had to leave now.

"I'll give you more when we get back if you come with me now."

"No." snapped Plagg.

"Suit yourself." Adrien stood up from the bed and raised his fist in the air. "Plagg –,"

"You don't know what you're doing, Kid."

"–Claws out!" Plagg was sucked back into the ring and in a flash of green light Adrien became Chat Noir. He walked over the window and gently pried it open, feeling the uncomfortable sting of winter against his cheeks. He jumped out before he could change his mind and vaulted from building to building until he reached his balcony.

He somersaulted near the trapdoor and crouched down against her wall. He crept over and knocked against the glass. He would've done it more lightly, but he could barely hear himself think and the roar of the wind was hurting his sensitive ears.

The trapdoor swung open and he was yanked inside.

Chat lost his balance and fell face-first against Marinette's pink sheets. He heard the door slam shut above him and he groaned as he pushed himself up. He turned his head to the side and saw Marinette's shocked face staring down at him.

"Chat, what are you doing here?" She pursed her lips and frowned, "Wait here."

She hurried down the steps towards her desk and disappeared down another trapdoor in her floor. Water dripped off Chat's leather suit, the cold just barely seeping through, and he shivered. He ran his clawed hand through his hair and breathed in deeply.