All The Bright Places

Temptation

Chat Noir sat on Marinette's balcony trying to come up with an excuse as to why he was visiting her at 2:00am. Honestly, he was worried about her. He couldn't believe Lila would do such a thing. Adrien knew that Lila had a mean way with words, especially towards Marinette, but to be physical with it? That was something new to him. He wanted to visit as Adrien but he knew he couldn't for obvious reasons.

As soon as his hand touched the latch, it opened rather quickly. His eyes widened as he watched the girl poke her head out. She nearly fell back in when she saw him. His hand covered her mouth before she could scream and when she finally realized it was him, she shoved his hand away and scrunched her nose up. "What are you doing here, Chat Noir?"

Her face was red and stained from tears and her hair was a mess. "I- uh- I could ask the same." He held his hand out, letting her take it and pull herself up onto the balcony. "I live here in case you forgot." Chat Noir turned his head to the side as he studied her face. He had never seen her in such a vulnerable state before. "I meant being up at such an early hour. Can't sleep?"

Marinette shook her head and sat down on one of the fold-up chairs. "I could ask the same to you." Chat Noir deadpanned. "Touché." The girl smiled and Chat Noir couldn't help but smile back. She was clearly upset and he was making her smile. The little voice inside his head cheered him on.

"You know, Paris seems more beautiful at night." Marinette pressed her lips together and looked over at the blonde. "You might be good at pun's but... you're horrible at small talk." Chat Noir snorted as the laughter escaped, making Marinette laugh with him. "Okay, okay. Maybe you're right. Small talk isn't really my thing." Marinette nodded in agreement.

"So, did you need something? I'm just curious as to why one of Paris's most famous super heroes is on my balcony right now. Shouldn't you be out saving people?" Marinette turned her body to face him, folding her hands in her lap. "That's what I'm doing, my cat senses led me here. Is something wrong?"

Marinette got quiet and looked down at her lap which was a dead giveaway to him. Even though he already knew, the long pause confirmed it. "I'm fine." Her voice was low as she finally looked back up at him. He could see the tears pooling in her eyes.

"Oh, Princess." He moved to sit beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she finally broke down. The bluenette buried her face in her hands as she cried. "I'm sorry..."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. Do you want to talk about it?" Marinette sniffled as she wiped her eyes and pulled her head back up with a nod. "This girl... she said some harsh things to me. Usually I wouldn't let that bother me, but lately I've just had so much on me. She finally just... won." Chat Noir shook his head and frowned. He knew there was more to the story than what she was telling. "You're one of the strongest people I know, Marinette. Don't let someone bring you down."

"Thank you, Chat Noir. I'm trying, but like I said, I have too much piled on my plate at the moment. A lot of it is personal things that you wouldn't understand." It wasn't a lie. She was physically and emotionally exhausted from school, her obsession with Adrien, and her other life as Ladybug. Not to mention, all the things in between. "Well, I'm always here for you and I'm sure your friends are too. Even if I can't understand everything, I'll still listen and try the best I can." Marinette smiled sadly and wrapped both arms around him. "Thanks again. That really means a lot to me."
Chat Noir stood up and held his hand out to her. She pulled herself up again and sighed. "You need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is a school day."

Marinette rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, sir! I'm off to bed now. Thanks for the... small talk." He couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips as he patted her shoulder. "Anytime, Marinette." He watched as Marinette slid through the trap door, standing on her bed as she peeked out at him. "Goodnight, Chat."