The Miraculous Marichat

Part Eight

Nearly a week had passed since the last akuma targeted Marinette. There had been three more in that time, but none had gone after her.
Adrien was so relieved. He couldn't bear the thought of Marinette being put into danger again because of him, especially since he had been visiting her almost daily since their first meeting.
It wasn't always heartfelt conversations in the dead of night. Once, he helped her study for her test (which consequently also helped him study for the same test, not that she would know that of course). Another time she had totally crushed him in a MechaStrike III tournament.
Marinette had been right about her parents' attitudes towards him as well.
The first time, Mr. Dupain caught him upstairs with his daughter, he had insisted Chat Noir stay for dinner. It was the friendliest meal Adrien had attended in a long time.
Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng (who insisted he call them Tom and Sabine) had been so wonderful and caring to him that he almost cried. He thought he played it off well enough, but he doubted Marinette was fooled.
Marinette was like a different person around Chat. Adrien thought he knew her well enough from hanging out at school and around Alya and Nino, but there was something different about Marinette when she was with just him in the catsuit. She was confident and sure. She didn't stumble over her words and seemed much less prone to tripping (though he had caught her a few times). She was witty and funny, and unlike Ladybug, actually laughed at his jokes and puns and would even fire back with some of her own. Adrien couldn't help but test out his Chat Noir charm on her. The first time she truly flirted back at him, his cheeks had felt like they were on fire.
Adrien didn't know what to make about the disparity between Marinette at school and Marinette at home. Maybe she had social anxiety and felt more secure when she was in a safe place? Adrien wasn't sure, but a large part of him wished he could be just as close to her as Adrien as he seemed to be as Chat Noir.

A strange buzz hung over the school yard as Adrien waved goodbye to his bodyguard.
"What's going on?" Adrien asked as he approached Nino and Alya. Marinette didn't seem to be there yet.
"Last night, someone got pictures of Chat Noir and Marinette!" Alya exclaimed, brandishing her phone in Adrien's face. "They tweeted them out anonymously, but it's gone totally viral! I've been trying to call Marinette all morning but that girl sleeps like the dead."
Adrien examined the pictures with a wince. Even he had to admit, with all the rumors from a week before, it didn't look good.
They were on her balcony, a shared blanket draped across their shoulders as they picked out constellations. The next pictures were of their goodbye: one had Marinette on her tippy-toes so she could hug him, and the next had Chat Noir stooping to place a kiss on the back of her hand. It had become a joke between the two of them.
The next picture caught Adrien by surprise. It was Marinette by herself, with the blanket once again wrapped around her, leaning against the railing and gazing off into the skyline with a pink tinge to her cheeks. Even to Adrien it looked like a picture of a girl watching her boyfriend walk away.
But they were just friends! The pictures were taken out of context and now everyone would go back to the crazy rumors and wild speculation from a week ago.
"Sorry I'm late!" Marinette's chipper voice called out as she raced into the schoolyard. She didn't seem to notice that everyone's eyes were on her as she barreled toward her group of friends.
"Marinette! I've been calling you all morning!" Alya gasped.
"I'm sorry! I was up late," Marinette panted.
"We know, dude," Nino smirked.
"You know? What do you mean?"
In lieu of responding, Alya brandished her phone in similar fashion as she had done to Adrien..
Adrien watched as his friend's face turned beet-red. She squealed and scrambled back a step.
"That's not—but I—"
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," a loud voice boomed from the doorway. Everyone gasped and looked to see an akuma dressed in a pink catsuit, reminiscent of Adrien's own superhero costume.
The girl stepped forward, her long blond braid swinging behind her.
Adrien took a step forward to be between the akuma and Marinette.
"Run, Marinette!" he commanded as students began fleeing the scene.
"You stole my love from me!" The akuma cried, charging forward. "Chat Noir will be mine!"
Adrien tried to stop the super villain, but she vaulted over him easily, using a baton that looked just like his, except black and hot pink.
"No!" Adrien cried as the akuma caught up to the fleeing Marinette and grabbed her before vaulting off into the sky, his friend in tow.
"Marinette!" Alya cried as Adrien dashed toward the locker room.
Just when he thought the world had moved on and Marinette might be safe, he had put her in danger again.
"Plagg, claws out!"