Stray ~ A MariChat Love Story (Complete)

Chapter 6: Movie Magic

Of course the movie just had to be about Ladybug and Chat Noir. She should've seen it coming from a mile away.

They filed into the cinema and Alya dragged Marinette behind her, pushing Nino ahead and leaving Adrien with no choice but to sit beside her. The good part? He didn't mind.

The movie was terrible though. Marinette just couldn't understand why all of Paris wanted Ladybug and Chat Noir to be a couple. They were a great team and he was the best partner she could've hoped for. But that was it. That was all they'd ever be.

Sure Chat would flirt, but he wasn't the type of person to be taken seriously. He didn't love her, not truly anyway. How could he? He didn't even know her behind the mask.

Marinette reached for her popcorn and her hand brushed against someone else's. She glanced to the right and her gaze locked with Adrien's. She blushed brightly, her whole body tingling with warmth. They withdrew their hands, "Sorry."

She grabbed some popcorn in her hand, occasionally dropping a few pieces in her purse. It felt good to have Tikki nearby, not just in case an akuma appeared, but because having her around made Marinette more comfortable. Like the presence of a guardian angel.

The movie dragged on and Marinette couldn't wait for it to be over. The Chat Noir and Ladybug onscreen were running through Paris away from Hawk Moth's army of akumatised villains. They were all there; Evilistrator, Lady WiFi, Puppeteer and even Stone Heart.

She thought Alya might be offended, but her best friend looked completely consumed by the action onscreen. Everyone was. Even Adrien...

Marinette's wandering gaze fell back on him and she allowed herself to stare.

Unlike Chat Noir, she knew she was in love. How could she not be? Adrien was brilliant, athletic and dedicated. He knew a lot about fashion, like her, and was one of the kindest people she'd ever met. He had honor, respect and an unbreakable loyalty to his friends. Things Chat definitely lacked.

Adrien was the perfect guy. And Marinette couldn't help but swoon whenever he was around. She sighed and when Adrien's head tilted towards her, her body stiffened.

"You enjoying the movie?" he asked. His face was so close to hers, his warm breath fanning her cheeks in the dark. She nodded eagerly and he smiled before moving back in his seat.

Marinette turned back to the movie, but she really wished she hadn't. Right there, onscreen, both actors playing Ladybug and Chat Noir were making out against an old building in a tragic scene before the final battle. Marinette cringed in disgust.

A loud cracking noise started filtering through the theater. At first no one noticed anything out of the ordinary, but then the noise grew louder until it was all they could hear. A scrawny boy burst into the cinema then and all the lights turned on. "Akuma!" he cried, "There's an akuma in the building!"

People jumped out of their seats and ran passed the boy towards the doors. "This will be such a great scoop for the Ladyblog!" said Alya. She reached for her pocket to pull out her phone, but Nino grabbed her arm.

"Are you for real, Dude?" he asked, "We could die right now and you wanna take a picture?"

Adrien ran towards the doors and they followed behind him. But outside it was chaos. People ran around screaming and crying out, knocking each other around. Someone bumped into Marinette and she stumbled back while her friends moved forward.

She noticed cracks widening in the ceiling and ran back as large chunks of debris fell to the floor. It smashed into ground, shattering and dust filled the air. "Marinette!" cried Alya, "Marinette? Where are you?"