The Scarf for Two

17 - The delivery

"Good news, Kitty! I've finished your order." Marinette welcomed Cat Noir in the evening, when he landed on her balcony.

"It's high time. I was about to cancel it."

"You're unbearable!" she nudged him with a smile.

"You were making the scarf for so long, that I managed to fall out of love with Ladybug..." he muttered, leaning for a kiss.

"That was my plan, Kitty." She whispered and kissed him.

"Really?" he was surprised.

"Well... Maybe not at the beginning..." she admitted. "But then I thought that if you love Ladybug, you should love her for the real her, not for her superhero-self."

"In that case, I'm so thankful that you let me know you, Bugaboo. I definitely prefer your civilian private self."

"Civilian private?" she spotted with a smile.

"Well, you as Marinette, but not at school. Here, in your room. I mean: private."

"Oh, I got it! I think I like your private self as well. Not Adrien from school, nor Cat Noir from the fight, when you pester me with flirting."

"I pester you with flirting?" he asked in astonishment.

"Yeah, you show off. I prefer you flirting with me here. In my room. I mean: private." She repeated his words.

"And which private self you prefer? Civilian me or superhero-me?"

"Doesn't matter, because Tikki wants Plagg. So, go now and visit me decently, please. I mean through the door."

"Why do I have to visit you decently to let our kwamis visit each other indecently?" he muttered wryly, and Marinette giggled.

"Oh, Kitty, Kitty... You don't want to meet bugged Tikki."

"A pun, M'Lady?" he spotted, and she rolled her eyes. "Well... OK then... As you wish..." he sighed, involuntarily quoting the movie they had watched recently.

"I see you liked it." She gave him a wink.

"What?"

"The movie. 'Princess Bride'."

"Why do you think so?"

"You quoted Westley. 'As you wish...'"

"Oh, right!" He laughed. "I must have done it subconsciously, Purrincess." He admitted and added after a while: "Not-Bride-Yet."

"Wh-What?" she stuttered and looked at him with eyes wide opened.

"Princess Not-Bride-Yet." He repeated grinning, as if he knew perfectly what she had understood, and he didn't mean to change it. He leaned and before he kissed her, he whispered: "I'm knocking on your door in one minute."

Indeed, a minute later Ms. Cheng called her daughter:

"Darling, Adrien's here!"

"I'm coming, mom!"

She ran downstairs in a heartbeat. Decently or not – his visits were something that she got used to easily. Actually, there was no difference if she talked to Cat Noir or Adrien. It was the same boy – the one so close to her heart. To his Princess Not-Bride-Yet.

***

"How's your Agrael?"

These were words, that Cat Noir greeted Marinette, landing on her balcony. She turned around immediately and laughed happily.

"Raelag, you mean?"

"It depends which self is hotter for you. With or without the mask."

"You still about that?" she rolled her eyes. "Kitty, Kitty... If you must know with the mask you're as hotter as more irritating. So, decide if you prefer wasting your time for my irritation, or..."

She couldn't finish that sentence, because she was suddenly embraced and kissed.

"Soooo, I'm hotter as Cat Noir?" he murmured after a while, and she rolled her eyes again and laughed.

"Definitely more irritating." She added.

"I haven't heard that." He gave her a wink.

"You know you have to..." she began, and he only sighed.

"It's so bothersome that I have to visit you as my civilian self. Can't you just tell your parents that you broke up with Adrien and started dating Cat Noir?"

"It's out of the question!" she replied firmly. "Firstly, Tikki won't forgive me that. Secondly, Plagg won't forgive me that. And both will make our lives insufferable."

"And thirdly?"

"Why should I have the third reason?" she asked surprised.

"Well, I thought that you have more reasons than only being afraid of consequences of ruining our kwamis' lovely romance..."

"Oh, OK..." she sighed. "Thirdly, we won't be able to spend time together at school. I'd have to keep you away from me before classes..." she whispered, touching his cheek. "Between classes..." she added, touching his chin. "After classes..." she finished, touching his lips.

"Purrincess..." he whispered, gulping.

"Yes?" she smiled coquettishly.

"You're dangerously close to purrfection."

"Only close to?" she spotted, frowning. "Kitty..." she added in a warning tone.

"Actually, you need only one tiny detail to be purrfect, M'Lady." He whispered and looked at her palm so suggestively, that she lost her breath for a moment. "I've got something for you." He added, and she melted immediately.

He reached out to the side, where, just after arriving at her balcony, he put down the flat, long box. Marinette looked there and guessed what Cat Noir wanted to give her. She laughed mentally, realizing what stupid thoughts had just come to her. What did she expect?! After all, they were only fourteen years old!

And Cat Noir picked up the box and suddenly hesitated. He looked at Marinette shyly, and his hand unknowingly patted the box, as if he wasn't entirely sure if or how he should give her the present.

"I'm still embarrassed that I ordered the gift for you at you..." he whispered.

"We've already discussed this, Kitty."

"And you still remember that my birthday is soon?" he added with his cat-smile.

"Yes, I remember." She nodded.

"Don't think that I'm trying to put pressure on you or something... But... I can't really imagine a better gift for myself than you'd agree to wear it." he blurted out in one breath, blushing horribly.

Marinette smiled tenderly and stroked his cheek.

"We've already decided about it, Kitty, haven't we?" she whispered softly, then opened the box.

And she became speechless.

The box, indeed, contained the green scarf. And an emerald ring on it...

THE END <3