Miraculous Ladybug One-Shots - All Ships

Marinette x Chat Noir

"Princess!" I knock on the wooden hatch on Marinette's roof, waiting for her to answer.

Finally, the hatch creaks open. "Chat, it's midnight. Is something wrong?" Marinette rubs her eyes and yawns as her loose hair falls over her shoulders.

I smile sweetly. "Why yes, Mari, something is wrong. Something is very wrong. Some poor, lonely kitty has found himself with a serious lack of cuddles tonight, and he was wondering if a certain lovely maiden could help him out."

Marinette sighs sleepily, but an amused grin graces the corners of her mouth. "I think she can. Come on in, Chaton."

I swing myself into her room and land heavily on her bed. Taking her cat pillow in my arms, I stroke it softly and wait for her to sit down next to me. "So, I see you're a cat lover?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Marinette tries to grab the pillow, but I swipe it away and laugh quietly, conscious of her parents sleeping downstairs. I sling the pillow over my shoulder and jump off of the loft, landing gracefully next to her desk. As Marinette chases me down the suspended staircase giggling, I spot a familiar face in the corner of my eye.

"Princess," I purr, "who is this strapping gentleman?" I point to one of the many photographs of myself hung on her wall.

Marinette freezes, and her face turns a bright red. "He's...a great inspiration to me, with my...my designs, and everything. Yeah, designs."

Phew, I was worried for a second there, I think. I shouldn't have asked, now she seems tense. I hand her the pillow and offer my hand. "Care to join me in bed?"

Marinette's eyes widen. "Don't—don't say that! That makes it sound like...like you..."

"You know that's not what I meant," I hurriedly explain, feeling the air grow hotter. Trying to regain my composure, I shake my head and grin flirtatiously. "I'm a bit cold, and I think you could fix that."

Marinette rolls her eyes, and I can tell she's holding back a relieved smile. "Fine," she huffs.

Heading back up to the loft, I watch her hair bob against her neck, waving ever so slightly. We climb into the bed, and I pull her close, holding my chest against her shoulder blades, my knees against the backs of hers. My face is buried in her hair, and I can sense the faint scent of coconut. I nuzzle my nose into the back of her neck, and she giggles, flinching from the sudden tickle. "I only like you for your cuddles," I whisper.

"What a shame," Marinette says, "I guess that means no more cuddles for Chaton."

"No!" I whine, and I grab my own hand, creating an unbreakable prison. "Now you can never leave."

She giggles happily. "I'm okay with that," she says, curling closer to my chest. "Chaton," she murmurs after a silent moment, "I can feel your heart beating very, very quickly."

I laugh nervously. "Can you now?"

Marinette shakes my arms away and rolls over to face me. Our noses are mere inches apart. "Not so smooth when the flirting actually works, are you?"

A tempting idea creeps into my mind. Now is your chance. I cup her cheek in my hand, savoring the feeling of her soft skin against mine. Go, Agreste! In one swift movement, I pull her face to mine, and our lips meet. After a moment of initial confusion, Marinette gives in to the kiss. She wraps her arms around me, sending frenzied butterflies flittering through my stomach. Running her fingers through my hair, she breaks the kiss. I don't notice the soft rumble bubbling up through my throat until I realize Marinette's hand is still planted in my hair, gently massaging my scalp. She attempts to cover a laugh as my eyes fling open.

"You were purring," she exclaims.

"Yes. No! I..." I huff, embarrassed. "It's a feature of the suit, I guess."

Marinette notices how red I'm becoming. "Oh, Chaton. I'm sorry for making fun of you, but you're so adorable. Did you know that?"

"Why yes," I say. "Yes I did. I have cat ears, Princess, I am the definition of adorable." She holds her hand over her mouth and laughs softly. "Your laugh is like honey."

"Oh, Chaton," she coos, "you flatter me. Is that what you tell every girl you meet?" A bright, curious glimmer flickers through her eyes.

"Only you, Princess. And my Lady, of course." Suddenly, something feels very wrong. I close my eyes and rest my forehead against Marinette's, taking a deep breath. "Am I betraying my Lady?"

Marinette seizes up, and her hand leaves its place at the square of my back, instead landing on my elbow. "What do you mean, Chat?"

The absence of my little pet name bothers me. "I love her very much, but it doesn't take away from my feelings for you. I guess it doesn't make much sense for me to worry though, because—"

"Because she's not here?"

I shake my head, puzzled. "Because she doesn't feel the same about me. I've come to accept that." A misplaced warmth fills my heart at the thought of her, but it is replaced with a startling cold as Marinette breaks our embrace.

She swings her feet over the edge of the bed, and I find myself staring at her back. "You...really do love her, don't you?"

I pause, hesitant. "Yes."

"You don't even know her," Marinette retorts, her voice growing louder. "You have no idea who she really is behind the mask. She's not this perfect person, like how you seem to think she is."

"Marinette, don't say that! Ladybug isn't, perfect, of course I know that much. But that doesn't at all take away from her beauty. She has to be one of the bravest, kindest people I've ever met."

"Unlike me, of course."

"You're wrong. The two of you may be very different, but I treasure you all the same."

She turns to face me, and a single tear rolls down her cheek. "Chat, I know the girl behind the mask. She's clumsy, and unconfident, and never does anything right. She depends on that mask to hide her from the world she pretends she can save."

I step off of the bed and grab her hand. "Don't say that about my Lady."

"Don't call me your Lady," Marinette shouts. She glances anxiously to the side, wary of her sleeping parents, but turns away to collapse into my chest, wrapping her arms tightly around my body.

What? I scramble for something to say as she quietly sobs into my shoulder, but I can't find the words. Instead, I hold her head closer to my chest, rocking gently back and forth, back and forth. Marinette, I think, wishing she could hear. Was that a slip of the tongue? Or are you... I finally regain the ability to speak. "Mari?"

Marinette sniffles. "Hm?"

"You're..."

"Yeah."

That's all I need. "Now I have even more reasons to love you."

Marinette gazes up into my eyes, wiping her cheek dry. "Do you really feel that way?" I nod. After a pause, she rests her hand on the back of my head, pulling my face closer to her own. Our lips link in a kiss, more soulful than the last. I lose my footing and land on the edge of the bed, catching myself with my hands. Marinette follows, slinging both of her legs over my left thigh, pressing her stomach to mine. I imagine lightning bolts passing harmlessly through our lips, setting our hearts on fire.

Eventually, the kiss is broken. Marinette rests her forehead on my shoulder, and I link my arms behind her chest, leaning my head into the back of hers. Her steady breaths echo mine. I could hold her like this forever, if she'd let me.

My Lady.

My princess.

My Marinette.