Stray ~ A MariChat Love Story (Complete)

Chapter 25: Green with Envy

Chat Noir couldn't resist checking on his princess that night. He'd spent the entire day at school thinking about her fiery personality, her goodwill and her beauty that he hadn't been able to see until now.

She'd still been quiet around him, but things had been better. At least, they would be, if Nathaniel wasn't always around to claim her as he own. Alya thought it was sweet, but she told Nino that Marinette didn't seem as excited with him as she once was with Adrien.

It made him feel a bit better, especially when Nino commented on how wrong the two looked together. But the fact remained. At school she was with him, spoke to him, hung out with him and even invited him to sit closer to her and Alya.

Now things would change. It was night time in Paris, his time, and he wouldn't take the time he had with Marinette for granted.

He landed effortlessly on her balcony and strolled over to the trapdoor. His shoulders were no longer tense and the smell from her parent's bakery sent his mind at ease. This place was second, more favorable home to him and his visits like second nature.

He gingerly knocked against the glass pane and took a step back for his princess to allow him inside. The latch swung back and Marinette peered outside. She nearly took his breath away.

Marinette's pale face was flushed with a soft tint, her plump lips darkened into a seductive shade of red. Her hair was down, with drops of water dripping along her shoulders and the scent of her strawberry shampoo hit him hard. Her smile dazzled him.

Chat's hands itched to grab her and kiss her. To wipe away any memory of Nathaniel from her mind and make it so that his name was the only one she remembered. Something he'd only ever thought of doing to Ladybug.

"Chat." she breathed, "I wasn't expecting to see you tonight." She hurried back down and Chat slid through the doorway onto her bed.

Her room was mess, with clothes thrown carelessly on her chaise and all over her floor. Chat watched as she buzzed around, muttering to herself and glancing around the room in a panic. He pushed himself off the railing and dropped to the floor on her level.

"Hey, watch it!" she reached down and yanked a shirt out from beneath Chat's silver-tipped boot. He stumbled forward and frowned uneasily as she hurried away again. "Um, what exactly did I get myself into?" he asked.

Marinette didn't answer and he took a step to the left, barely dodging her as she piled the clothes in her hands and raced back to her wardrobe. She shoved them all inside and groaned, leaning against the doors to keep them shut.

That was when he noticed her dress. It was a dark shade of blue, bringing out her eyes even more than usual, with a thin red ribbon around her waist. It was sleeveless, showcasing her bare shoulders and dipping down into a heart shaped neckline that hinted just a bit of cleavage.

Chat would've been flustered, but there was something more important on his mind.

"Why are you dressed like that?" he asked, grimacing at the unease in his stomach. There wasn't anyway. She couldn't be.

Marinette brushed a strand of her behind her ear and smiled sheepishly. "Um, no reason." she mumbled, "Why? Does it look bad?" Her eyes went wide and her delicate brows furrowed, "I mean –it's not bad, right?"

She ran towards her full length mirror and started prodding at the dress, brushing her hands all the way from the tight bodice, to the ribbon around her waist and the flared out hem. Chat momentarily imagined his hands their instead of hers and shook his head harshly to rid himself of the thought

"I was worried about the make-up. Maybe I overdid it? I could always change the ribbon, maybe adjust the hemline?" she rambled. "Maybe make it shorter...?" Now that caught his attention.