Stray ~ A MariChat Love Story (Complete)

Chapter 39: How We Truly Feel

Marinette couldn't breathe. She'd dreamt of this, of Chat Noir approaching her carefully and confessing his love for her. But she didn't think it would actually happen.

Chat Noir loved her, he truly loved her. Not just the mask or the baker's daughter, but both of them. All of her.

But then she thought back to Adrien's rejection and her smile faltered. "How long?" she asked.

Chat tilted his head to the side casually and his eyes glazed over. "Honestly? I'm not too sure when it all started." He sent her a lopsided grin and brushed his thumb over her cheek lovingly.

There was something romantic about the way the lights shined off his suit and messy hair, the way the music from the street reached her ears and the moonlight washing over them.

"The earliest I can think of was the day you first tried to teach me to bake in your parent's kitchen. I told you about my life at home, you kiss me and I felt something."

It felt like such a long time ago. He mind scrambled as his words settled in her heart. "Wh –Why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugged and Marinette thought she saw a light shade of pink dusting his face behind the mask. "I thought I loved Ladybug more." he muttered, "It wouldn't have been fair to lead you on. And then you wanted to go out with Nathaniel..."

Marinette closed her eyes and chuckled dryly. "That's why you were acting so strange. You were jealous." The word felt strange on her tongue, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride from the statement.

"Guilty." His ears fell flat against his head, "I was going to let you be with him though, and then there was that incident at the art museum and I realized I couldn't do it. I was willing to show you the truth...who I am," he grabbed her hand tenderly and placed it over his beating heart, "And that's when I knew I had to tell you, no matter what you decided."

Her mouth went dry and Marinette looked down at his hand, placed gently over hers holding it against him. His words and posture were smooth, but the heat radiating from him and erratic heartbeat betrayed his confidence.

"So I bought the best bouquet of roses I could find, but then I saw you with Nathaniel." His brows furrowed and his lips twisted into a scowl. "I just...snapped. I thought you were in love with him and I wasn't...I couldn't ruin that for you."

Marinette pulled her hands from him and took a step back. The day he'd been akumatised, he'd kissed Ladybug so passionately and deeply, calling out her real name. Tikki had been right all along. He'd loved her from the beginning.

"I just don't understand, Chat. I thought...all this time..." she clenched her fists at her sides and stared up at him, "I thought you loved Ladybug. What changed?"

Chat Noir stepped closer, pinning her against the railing of her balcony. The moonlight highlighted the dark ridges of his mask and his green eyes shone through the black leather, as equally enticing and mesmerizing as they'd been that night they danced on the Eiffel Tower.

"I'm a cat, Mari." he whispered. He wrapped his arms around her waist and the heat from his body made her shiver. She rested her palms against his chest, leaning into him, and his warm breath ruffled her fringe.

Chat offered her a small smile, her heart hammering in her chest. "And sometimes..." he dipped his head down to hers, "We cats tend to stray."

He pressed his lips down on hers and Marinette felt completely consumed by him. To think that all those akuma attacks, all those visits and all those wasted tears over Adrien had all led to this. Her prince charming had been in front of her all along and she'd just been too stubborn to see it.