Breaking Free

3) Traditions

Marinette's POV
"Hey Purrincess." A familiar voice rang from outside Marinette's trapped door.

It had been over three months since Chat Noir came to her with a stab wound, but it wasn't the only visit she received from the stray.

No, in fact, it was far from it.

Weekly visits began once she insisted he come back to allow her to check his wound and monitor its progress.

Weeks, though, turned to days, and she continued to see another side of her flirtatious partner that Ladybug had never met, that she had never met, and that side had turned into her best friend.

Well, besides Alya, of course.

Their visits would range from him venting about problems at home, movie nights, taste testing bakery items, and even just working on homework or designs.

It had turned into a tradition, if you will, one that she looked forward to every night.

"It's open!" Mari yelled from her desk, eagerly making her way up to the window.

She giggled as Chat Noir made his way into her room, arms full of shopping bags, that must've left most of Paris wondering what in the world their hero doing.

"Okay," he began unpacking the bags, each filled with more than the last.

"I brought eight movies, because I wasn't sure which one you wanted to watch. Tangled, Aladdin, Jumanji, Hook, Little Mermaid, Brother Bear, Hercules, and 17 Again." He listed.

"Then I have a projector, you know, the kind you can hook up to your laptop, a few blankets including that fuzzy one you like so much, Rocky road, mint chip, and chocolate... your choice, lots of whipped cream, soda... you do like Dr. Pepper, right? Twix, Hershey's, and Twizzlers, all theater style of course, and the holy grail of movie night..."

"The popcorn machine?!"

"The popcorn machine." He confirmed before plugging the small device into the nearest outlet.

"Ready?" He asked as she looked through her entertainment options.

"Ready, kitty." And as soon as she placed Jumanji (the original, of course) into her computer, plugging it into the projector allowing the picture to appear over the wall, she snuggled deeper into his embrace.
- • - • - • - • - • - • -
Chat Noir's POV
The movie went by too quickly, as they laughed and threw popcorn at each other throughout, careful not to wake Marinette's parents in the apartment below.

"Mari," he whispered as the movie ended, "come on."

He beckoned her to follow him as he climbed up onto the balcony, and she did.

"What is it?"

"I want to show you something."

She nodded as Chat scooped her up bridle style, grabbing his baton, getting ready to jump into the city-lit night.

She held tightly onto him as they flew over the city, eventually landing on a rooftop overlooking the Seine.

It was then he noticed her really taking in her surroundings.

The city was beautiful, from this ledge, the buildings lit up and the river glowing from the reflections.

A few lonely stars could be seen above, but the moon made up for it with its sharp crescent accented by the clear night.

"I... wow." Marinette stuttered, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

The rest of the night was better than a movie. It was just the two of them, not caring about the mask or hidden identity, just as friends, watching over their city.

The peaceful silence was interrupted by a ding from Marinette's phone.

"What is it?" He eagerly asked, listening as it buzzed a second time.

"It looks like a couple updates on the Ladyblog... one sec..."

As she opened the page, she began to read the first article out loud, leaving the two of them laughing throughout.

"Chat Noir's Shopping Spree, by Alya Césaire." She then pointed the phone towards Chat so he could see the ridiculous picture a citizen took of him standing in a line at Bed Bath and Beyond, holding multiple shopping bags as he checked out a bunch of blankets.

"Did you buy all of that stuff you brought before coming?" She asked.

"Of course! Superheroes get discounts, you know."

She rolled her eyes as she began to read, struggling to cover up her laughter.

"Chat Noir has been discovered this evening in multiple stores, including Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, as well as a Ben and Jerry's. Purchases ranged from candy to soda to ice cream to DVDs along with multiple blankets and even a popcorn machine and projector. Wait," Marinette paused, "why did you buy a new popcorn machine?"

"The old one broke." Chat admitted. "But what's movie night without popcorn?"

"Good answer." After finding where she left off in the article, Mari continued to read.

"What is the hero of Paris up too? Is he taking Ladybug out on a date? Is this 'secret romance' what we've all been waiting for? Stay tuned for updates."

Chat was the first to break into a fit of laughter. "A date with Ladybug," he wheezed, "I wish."

"I would be proud of you if you could get a date in general." She scoffed between giggles.

"I'll have you know that the ladies swoon for me, purrincess."

"Oh really?"

"I bet that if I were to take off this mask, you would kneel before my beauty," he paused to give a dramatic hair flip, "I've been told I could even be a model."

"Sure." She mocked, before scrolling down the page to the other new article.

"Ladynoir Confirmed, heroes caught on secret date-" she froze as she looked at the picture captured by one of the citizens of Paris.

"Chat, this is bad."

"How did they come to the conclusion that we were-" he froze as well as he examined the picture being shoved his direction.

Oh no.

That was a picture of him and Marinette, tonight, actually. Too dark to make out their faces. But the rooftop was undeniable, easily distinguished by the Seine and the lights surrounding the block.

From this view, he would think that it was him and his lady too. His silhouette was obvious from the tail and ears, but he had to admit that Mari greatly resembled his partner's physique.

Not to mention, who would just assume a citizen was just hanging out with a hero all night? No, the obvious assumption was that this was a picture of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

How will I explain this to Bugaboo?

The words were caught in his throat as Chat attempted to make a retort, not sure what to make of the awkward situation

"Well princess, I told you I could get a date."