Ladybug turned slightly and the arms around her tightened possessively. A flutter of pleasure rippled through her body for a second before she squashed it. She had woken up in a strange place, being held by some mysterious stranger who...just happen...
"Chat? What are you doing here?" Marinette demanded, lowering the umbrella. Chat crawled shakily from the wreckage of the potted plants, brushing dirt and leaves off his suit.
"I couldn't help myself, I saw a princess on her balcony and I was planning to 'whisker away'." He winked at Marinette, a familiar smirk tugging his face. "Get it? Whisker away? Whisk her away?"
Marinette rolled her eyes as she helped Chat get to his feet. Then she had to crane her neck as she realized it was harder to meet his eyes then it used to be. Chat had grown in the last five years, and the way he filled out his suit was...not unpleasant to look at. His shoulders had broadened and his chest and arms had become toned, lean muscle that tapered down to a slim waist and hips. Chat was no longer a boy, he was a man now, and Marinette wasn't sure how she felt about that.
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(*Author's note: he might not look exactly like this, but maybe he does ;))
"Nice place to relax," Chat said. His eyes, green behind the mask, caught hers and held them. "This balcony reminds me of the one you had at your old house."
"That's why I chose it," Marinette said. Her heart was beating a little fast but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Chat's mesmerizing gaze. "Where have you been?" she found herself asking, speaking her thoughts out loud.
Something flickered in Chat's eyes before he looked away to scan the city below them. Sadness? Regret?
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"I had to get away for a while," Chat said softly, gripping the balcony rail tightly. A light breeze tugged at his messy blond curls, made the bell around his neck ring one, quiet, lonely peal.
"Can you tell me why?" Marinette asked, joining him at the rail. His shoulders were hunched slightly, like a small boy who was trying not to cry, and Marinette had an urge to put a comforting hand on his shoulder or give him a hug. "Would it compromise your secret identity for you to tell me what's bothering you?" Marinette inquired, giving in to her impulse and putting a gentle hand on Chat's shoulder.
Chat's face relaxed into a smile. In that moment, Marinette had sounded just like Ladybug.
"As long as I don't go into detail," Chat answered. "It's kind of a long story though."
