A Pinch of Potpourri ~ Oneshot collection

Movie Night

It wasn't too long ago when Marinette's family officially adopted a cat. Not just any old cat, but one of Paris' beloved superheroes. His name was Chat Noir, bearer of bad luck. Though sometimes Marinette swore that she had worse luck than he did.

It all started on a Friday evening three months ago. She just wanted to sit by the Seine and draw a little before dinner time. But instead, she had fallen down the stairs right as she arrived at the river and sprained her ankle. He had witnessed her clumsiness while he was out on patrol, much to her embarrassment. But instead of laughing, he kindly escorted her back home. Grateful for his help, her parents invited him in for dinner. He respectfully declined, but they pushed on and invited him over for their weekly movie night that they were going to have later on.

It was only supposed to be a one-time thing. But to her dismay, he and her parents very much enjoyed each other's company that they invited him over again the next week. And the week after that... and the week after that. It seemed that Chat had found solace within the Dupain-Cheng household and enjoyed spending his Friday nights there. Feed a cat once and it keeps coming back, right? She should have expected it.

It was clear by his fourth night there that he had a less than ideal home life. The way his ears drooped when Tom and Sabine retired for the night and the look of disappointment in his eyes when it also meant that he had to leave, had the family feeling sorry for him. So they took pity on him and told him that he could stay a little longer as long as he didn't worry his guardians, but only after a particularly painful and embarrassing reminder that the two don't conduct in any indecent activity.

Marinette apologized after the incident and offhandedly complained about her parents, only to feel guilty immediately afterward. She felt terrible for complaining about her own when his didn't even spare him a glance. She apologized for her thoughtlessness and only felt worse when he smiled and told her not to worry about it. Seeing her increasingly dour mood, he frowned.

"Really, I'm fine. I mean—my situation sucks, but it's not your fault. If anything, having you has made my life a whole lot brighter." He smiled reassuringly. Her face flushed from his words and he quickly amended them. "And your parents too! Your parents are awesome! You're all awesome!" Marinette stifled her laughter, picked up the remote beside her, and continued the movie.

She admired his ability to stay positive. Whenever she needed pep talks, as Marinette or as Ladybug, he was always there for her. Whether it was about Chloe or about troubles with her designs, he listened to her every problem and sought to cheer her up. Turned out that having a cat was good for her anxiety.

Before she knew it, it had already been six months since he started showing up. Her ears started picking up any mention of Chat Noir or Fridays even. So it was only natural for her to listen in when she overheard Kim inviting Adrien over for a gaming session at Max's that Friday. She watched him decline, rubbing the back of his neck, undoubtedly feeling bad about turning them down. He explained that his Fridays were off-limits. When questioned whether it was because of work, he just shook his head and smiled, saying that he spent his Fridays with his family.

'Odd.' She thought. Of all the information she gathered about him, she knew that his father was rather distant and didn't really have the time to spend with him. Her thoughts drifted to her own plans for Friday and felt her insides flutter at the thought of how happy Chat was spending time with her and her parents. She pulled herself out of her reverie when she felt a pair of eyes resting on her. Kim was gone and Adrien was gazing at her. He smiled and waved before mouthing 'see you tomorrow.'

"See you tomorrow." She waved back with warm cheeks.

Wait.

She had a sudden revelation and rushed home. She flew up into her room, huffing and wheezing and looked up at all of the images of Adrien that adorned her walls. A warm sense of comfort filled her as her eyes traced the contours of his face.