25. Chapter 25

Her first instinct was to scream.

And although her luck seemed to be running scarce at that moment, she found the wherewithal to not immediately break down. The pounding of her heart seemed to beat a steady rhythm that chanted out “…mis-take, mis-take, mis-take…” with each new frazzled pulse.

‘Oh my God. I’m Marinette. I’m Marinette and I’m lying on a rooftop with…”

Despite her better judgement, she snuck a quick peek downwards.

She saw blonde hair. She saw a white blazer. She saw a now-silver ring slid onto gloveless hands.

What she did not see were leather cat ears. Well, that, or the face of her very-civilianized boyfriend where he remained snuggled against her abdomen.

“…mis-take, mis-take, mis-take…”

Marinette wrenched her gaze over to where the kwamis still rested, trying to will her friend over through sheer mind-power alone. ‘Please come, please save me!’ she projected desperately, the panic that was settling over her rivalling the weight of not-Chat as he continued to sleep peacefully atop her. When that didn’t work, Marinette resorted to using more tested forms of communication.

“TIKKI. PSSTT, TIKKI…” she hissed, not daring to raise her voice above a whisper as she desperately tried to rouse her snoozing companion. ‘Just two minutes you told yourself. Two. Measly. Minutes. What could be the harm? What could go wrong? A WHOLE GODDAMN LOT APPARENTLY.’

Maybe it was the fact she was panicking or, perhaps Marinette just had a knack for fucking herself over, but in that moment slamming her hand down on the roof seemed like a perfectly logical course of action.

And it had the intended effect…to a point.

The muted slap did wake the kwamis, Tikki’s eyes flying open with a start as Plagg just grumbled his way awake, but the sound also roused the fourth party on the rooftop.

The girl seized up.

‘HELP ME,’ Marinette mouthed at her friend, fear gripping her chest as she felt not-Chat Noir restlessly shift atop her. The speckled kwami looked on, taking a second to analyze the situation before her eyes widened to fill almost the entirety of her face. Marinette’s hand fluttered frantically, ushering both kwami over to where their charges were still intertwined.

“This is what you two get—“ Plagg’s biting remark was cut off by a look from both of the lucky ladies before him, the smaller of the pair batting at him with a whisper.

“Not now,” Tikki chastised before returning to Marinette with a significant look, “there will be time to scold them later.” The girl flashed a sheepish wince, stiffening up as she felt the body atop her shift once more.

“…mis-take, mis-take, mis-take…”

“Well I don’t know why they don’t just reveal themselves already,” Plagg went on, oblivious to Marinette’s massive turmoil. “You can’t tell me you approve of all the disgusting things they’ve been doing while suited up?”

“They aren’t the first ones to do those kinds of things and you know it.”

“It doesn’t matter! That’s not what the Miraculous are for, Tikki!”

“PLEASE,” Marinette cut in with a harsh whisper, “please just transform us and I promise I’ll make it up to you. Make it up to you both!” Not-Chat sighed against her stomach, prompting her to give the kwamis another wide-eyed look.

“Anything I want?” the tiny cat proposed.

Marinette nodded vehemently.

“Well I want you to make him stop moaning your name all night, it's really annoying.”

“I can’t do that,” the girl answered in a soft plead, electing to ignore the implications of his statement in light of her precarious situation. “Name something else.” Plagg’s eyes narrowed.

“Make sure he doesn’t finish in the suit. I don't want to have to deal with it.”

“He already said he wouldn’t.”

“He's a weak-willed kitten. I need you to make sure he doesn’t.”

“Fine!” Marinette hissed. ‘I can’t believe I’m promising a tiny anthropomorphic cat that I won't let my boyfriend orgasm. What has my life come to?’

“Excellent,” Plagg said, turning to grin at his straight-faced other half. “I like this one!”

“Good, fine. Now get in there,” Tikki said with a nudge, giving her chosen one last 'we-will-be-speaking-about-this-later' look before both kwami spiraled into their respective Miraculous.

Marinette heaved a sweet sigh of relief as she felt the ancient magic wash over her. Transforming while laying down was a first, as was transforming while under another person, but the charm worked nonetheless. For a few seconds the rooftop was engulfed in light, washing over the night before fading in a flash of pink and green.

Chat Noir sat up with a yowl, his sleep-heavy eyes blinking at the sudden wake-up call. “Wus…how did…?” He looked like a toddler, hair mussed and jaw slack as he tried to place his surroundings. Despite her lingering pulses of panic (‘that had been one hell of a close call’) Marinette couldn’t help but giggle at the sight, drawing his wandering gaze to hers.

“Looks like our cat nap ended up being more of a hibernation,” she responded through deep breaths.

Her heart rate was slowing now, pumping more along the lines of “it's-fine, it's-fine, it's-fine” as she propped herself up on her elbows. Chat looked down at the heroine, cocking his head to examine first her suit then his own with a furrowed brow.

“How are we…I mean? Shouldn’t our Miraculous have worn off by now?” Marinette gave a shrug. ‘No need to bother him with the details.’

“Guess our kwamis were looking out for us,” she responded distantly, taking in the dark night sky before muttering out with a curse. “My parents are going to skin me alive for being out this late after an akuma attack.”

“Eh, it’s only 9:30,” Chat said dismissively, sliding his staff open to display the analog numbers flashing across its green screen.

“And I was supposed to be home at three,” Marinette bemoaned, grinding her fists into her eye sockets until flashes of color popped behind her vision. ‘Great, not only am I am going to get a lecture from Tikki, but—‘

“Well, if you’re going to be late anyways,” she heard Chat purr out, his voice sounding significantly closer than it had been moments ago, “let’s say we make you extra late, hmm~?” Marinette kept her eyes shut, grinning as she felt him crawl across her propped up self and hover like a housecat scorned.

“I shouldn’t,” she began, the words sounding weak even to her own ears. “I’ve got homework…”

“It’s Friday,” Chat countered easily, his voice provoking shivers where it ghosted across her cheek. “And I’d hate to waste a fresh transformation.” It was obvious to both of them she had already made the decision to stay, but Ladybug kept her eyes shut and her mouth pressed together as he hovered above her. “Besides, I think we’re both rested enough to revisit what happened last night.”

“You can kiss or you can tease,” Marinette said, tilting her head up in a subtle invitation, “but you can't do both at the same time.” She let slip a contented gasp as she felt his fingers lightly grip her chin, his movements coaxing her body down until she was flattened beneath him once again.

“Watch me.”

It wasn't until Chat’s lips met with hers that Marinette finally allowed herself a peek, letting her eyelids flutter open only to be met with his glowing green stare. Chat winked, deepening their kiss with a triumphant swipe of the tongue she eagerly allowed to glide between her teeth. One of his hands snaked under the small of her back, the other supporting his weight as he dropped down onto an elbow.

Almost instinctively, Marinette spread herself as she felt his lower body sink down to press against her, her thighs bracketing Chat’s as the boy continued to pay due attention to her mouth. All her worries over lectures and identities and akuma seemed to fade until it was all white noise, buzzing under the wonderful melody created by their breath mingling between kisses.  

“Thank you for the pictures,” Chat murmured, looking down at her before bending to press his lips to the curve of her jaw. “Wanna guess which one was my favorite?” Marinette made a show of thinking, fighting down a shiver at the way he nipped against her skin before sighing out in a lilting voice.

“I’d say the thumbs up— no, wait! — the toe in the bathtub. Final answer.” Chat grinned against her, scraping his claws absently across the small of her back in a way that almost (almost) made Marinette lose her strenuously held composure.

“Close,” he replied, prompting her to raise a brow, “but not quite.”

Marinette’s rebuttal was lost to a pleasant hum as Chat buried his face into the dip below her chin, the drawn-out noise morphing into more of a whimper as his tongue dashed out to trail along her pulse point. It was a new tactic from him, one she was surprised to find she didn’t at all mind. In fact, his clever little trick invoked much more intense reactions than just “not-minding”, with the way Chat’s mouth skated across the exposed portion of her neck doing wondrous things to Marinette’s body temperature as she shivered under his attentions.

“No, I think my favorite picture was the last one,” he said, voice low as his words stuck under her flushed skin.

 “…the one with you on your knees…”

A kiss.

“…thighs spread…”

A lick.

“…back arched…”

A bite.

“…and that incredible ass stuck up in the air.”

Marinette couldn’t even begin to describe what his mouth was doing now, not even if she did had full control of her mental faculties. Which she most certainly did not.

Yes, it would seem grabbing the upper hand was much easier via text, when she had time and privacy to plan her attacks. Because with Chat all over her like this, claws scraping and tongue writhing as he focused the entirety of his attention on her sensation alone, Marinette felt all traces of last night’s bravado slip away, only to be replaced by hazy thoughts of ‘more’ and ‘good’.

“Dammit… I— uh…” Much to her unending pleasure and chagrin, Chat chuckled against her collarbone, the vibrations rumbling down her body in the most divinely sensuous way, but the sound indicating that this was one battle she should prepare to lose. Not that she really minded at this point.

“I’d say something about cats and tongues, but mine’s a little occupied at the moment,” Chat husked, trailing back up to recapture her waiting mouth. Twenty seconds Marinette let him kiss her senseless. Twenty seconds of silently rewiring herself to be a productive member of this make out session, before she pushed his chin back with a single finger.

“I liked your pictures too,” she said, licking her lips as she stared up at him. The words were meant to be a flirt, but the way her voice wavered somewhat ruined the effect, reducing it to a plea that pulled at the corners of Chat’s lips. “They came in handy last night.”

‘Ah, there we go,’ Marinette thought, watching as her last sentence finally seemed to have the desired effect on him. Green eyes widened. Just a smidgen, but it was enough to egg her on.

“And this morning,” she continued softly, placing a second finger against his chin, “and at lunch.” Chat’s eyes were absolute saucers by the time her third digit joined its partners, Adam’s apple bobbing at each syllable that snuck between her teeth. Marinette let out a slow grin at his reaction, the expression immediately souring on her face as the boy huffed out a short laugh.

“Okay so, I know that was supposed to be sexy,” he began, working his mouth mischievously as he glanced down at her growing pout, “and it really was…but I can’t get over ‘came in handy’…”

“What about it?” Marinette questioned, wiggling beneath him with growing displeasure at his relative candor. She wanted him bothered, goddammit!

“Well see, you used the term ‘came in hand—“ he paused, and gave a nod to her palm, “—y', when you were talking about…” Chat flashed a wicked leer.

“Oh c’mon!” Marinette said, half-exasperated and half-embarrassed as her boyfriend continued to laugh above her. “Stop punning for just one second so I can flirt with you!”

“Not so fun when someone steamrolls your attempts at seduction, is it, my lady?”

“This is different.”

“It really isn’t,” Chat assured her with a wink, his jovial expression melting into something more heated as he let his laughter trail off. “But then again, I did say I’d get you back for leaving me wanting last night…”

“You were the one who tried that tactic first,” Marinette reminded him, “so I don’t want anything held against me!”

She realized the fault in her wording a second too late.

“Really?” Chat asked. “Not even this?”

By 'this', Marinette assumed he meant his erection. The very same erection Chat now intentionally dug into her lower stomach with a roll of his lithe but powerful body.

She hissed at the contact, caught between being impressed and scandalized by the fact that her boyfriend seemed to be able to conjure up a hard-on at the drop of a pin. Like literally, out of thin air! That kind of potency was (in her mind) hard to come by, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of his staggering libido. Luckily, he didn’t leave her time to dwell on it before his weight lifted and his grin was back.

“So you tell me, still bent on the whole ‘no holding’ rule?”

“Oh get back here,” Marinette grumbled through a blush, worming a finger behind his belt to drag his hips back to where she wanted them. Chat complied with a wry smile, allowing his lower body to press down against hers firmly before nuzzling back into her neck.

“Did you mean it?” he asked, setting a slow, rolling pace of his hips as Marinette hooked her ankles around his.

“Hm?” the girl purred, mind growing immediately fuzzy due to the delicious pressure of him rocking between her legs.

“When you said the pictures I sent came in handy,” Chat clarified, speaking against her skin as his motions never ceased, “I just want to know…did you…?” Marinette’s flush flared up brighter, and she couldn’t tell if it was due to his question or the feeling of Chat hiking her thigh up over his hip.

Probably both.

“I don’t know why it’s so hard for you to believe girls do those kinds of things too,” she said, voice miraculously steady considering that she had to swallow a moan in order to force the words out. Chat wormed his head out from under her jaw, pressing another forceful kiss to her lips before continuing in a low drawl.

“It’s not that I’m shocked… but fuck, Ladybug…” His hips snapped against hers in a particularly languid thrust, and this time Marinette did moan, hands scrabbling for purchase behind his suited back as their pace seemed to speed up incrementally with each word Chat ground out between kisses. “…The thought of you getting yourself off… of you thinking of me while you do it…” He trailed off with a shaky exhale, the sound mirrored by the girl beneath him as the teens fought to erase every inch of space between their bodies (said space practically non-existent at this point in their make-out).

“Interesting concept?” Marinette managed to pant as they parted for a breath.

“Mind-blowing concept,” Chat corrected, pupils blown wide as he regarded her shuddering form. “I think of you too, you know.”

“Well that would explain the whole moaning my name in your sleep thing,” she replied, not taking the time to think over her words before they slipped out. Of course when Chat Noir looked down at her, intrigue mixing with his ever-present smirk to form an expression of aroused befuddlement, Marinette realized how strange the statement must have sounded.

“Since when have you heard me sleeping?” he asked, stilling his hips against hers but continuing to toy at the small of her back. “Was I muttering earlier?” Marinette swallowed.

“Not exactly,” she said with a tiny wince, flashing him a sheepish look as she shifted against him. “Plagg might have mentioned it to me in passing.”

Chat Noir’s eyebrows (well at least the area of his mask covering his eyebrows) shot up in surprise. “And since when do you and my kwami just happen to have passing conversations?”

“Oh, you know…”

“Ladybug.”

Marinette huffed a nervous laugh, placing a single finger in the center of his chest and guiding him back just far enough for her to catch her breath. “Okay, so don’t freak out,” she said, gnawing her lip as he looked on with one eyebrow quirked even higher, “but our transformation might have worn off during our nap.”

Chat's jaw popped open.

“Are you—“

“I didn’t see you!” she rushed to assure him. “Your face was still flat against my stomach so all I really saw was your hair…and your clothes, I guess…but not you!” Chat slipped the hand that was under her out to wave in the airspace between them.

“You know I wouldn’t even mind if you did…but you mean to tell me I was sleeping on you — like, the real you — and I wasn’t even conscious enough to enjoy it?!” Chat gave a pout, and despite their still very suggestive entanglement, Marinette couldn’t help but snort at the look.

“Trust me, it would have just opened a whole new can of worms for us, chaton. And I think we can both agree our relationship is complicated enough without an accidental reveal to stir up the pot.”

His hum in response illustrated the duality of her statement more than any rebuttal could. Marinette knew Chat’s opinion on their identities. The boy had made it quite obvious to her over the years that he would not at all be against letting her see his civilian self. Which is why her boyfriend’s next words came as a bit of a shock.

“You’re probably right,” Chat said, rolling over fully to plop against the roof beside her.

‘Now where is this coming from?’

“I’m…surprised to hear you say that,” Marinette began, propping her head up on one fist to examine his honest expression.  “I thought you wanted to know who I am.”

“I already know who you are,” Chat said with a laugh, mimicking her position as the wind shifted over them. “You’re Ladybug, and you’re my girlfriend. Do I want to know what other name you go by? What other titles you hold? Absolutely! But not unless my Lady wishes it to be so.”

“Since when are you such a sap?” Marinette mumbled to hide her genuine shock at his words. ‘What happened to the boy who just yesterday pleaded with me to let my transformation drop and go on a date with him?’

“Must be the full moon,” Chat quipped, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her lips. “Brings out the romantic in me. Besides, I know that when…er, well… if we ever see each other out of costume, it should be intentional. Not because of some cliché mistake made by two very tired teens.”

His words warmed her, even through the growing chill.

“When,” she said softly.

“My Lady?”

“When we see each other out of costume, it will be intentional,” Marinette responded with a resolute nod, prompting Chat to quirk yet another eyebrow. His smile was wondrous, brightening his handsome features with its awed glow, and it was almost enough to quell the jitters festering in her stomach.

“Are you saying…?”

“I'm not promising anything yet,” Marinette rushed to add, “but I don’t see how much farther we can go with these suits in the way.” Chat nodded enthusiastically.

“I totally get what you’re saying,” he agreed, gesticulating broadly as if he were discussing plans for world peace (or if his mischievous glint was any indication, world domination). “Though I’ve given it some extensive thought, and I think if I can get my zipper down past my hip bones and you’re flexible enough to bend—“

“As in I’m not sure how much farther our RELATIONSHIP can go without us knowing each other’s identities, Chat!”

“Oh, yeah… That’s what I was talking about too…”

“No it wasn’t,” Marinette grumbled light-heartedly, reaching out to gently smack the back of his grinning head. "But I’m going to pretend it was for the sake of my sanity.” Chat let her tut at him for a good few moments, looking properly (yet falsely) abashed when at last she let up on her teasing.

“So you really think you’ll let me meet you under the mask one day?” he asked once the silence had returned. As per usual, the two had gravitated back towards each other, legs tangled as they lay facing one another.

“Eventually,” Marinette said with a weighty sigh. “I still have a hard time seeing myself as both Ladybug and… well… me. I think once I get past that, the idea of introducing you to my civilian self will be much easier to stomach.”

It was true. In her mind, Ladybug and Marinette were two entirely separate beings. Two girls with two lives. Of course now that Chat Noir had begun to bleed between the lines, sneaking his way onto Marinette’s phone as well as her sleeping form, the distinction between her personas was becoming increasingly difficult to decipher. It was obvious that Ladybug was dating Chat Noir, but that logic also dictated that Marinette was dating Chat Noir. And by extension, Marinette was dating the boy on the other side of Chat Noir.

It was a dizzying and often-times frustrating line of thought, one she didn’t usually like to travel.

“Well, I for one can’t wait to meet her,” Chat broke in, effectively derailing her mental tangent. “I hear the girl behind the Ladybug suit is a real knockout.”

“That’s because you’re the only one who’s seen me in and out of my suit. Besides my kwami,” Marinette shot back.

“Well in that case I— wait!”

The girl jumped at his sudden outburst, looking on with confusion as Chat’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “What did you give him?” her boyfriend whispered, speaking low as if he didn’t want to be overheard.

“Give who?”

“You said our costumes had worn off while we slept, but I was Chat Noir when I woke up. Which means you somehow convinced Plagg to transform me. Which means you basically made a deal with a demon. Which means I need to protect you from whatever sinister reward he made you promise him.”

Marinette laughed full and long at his theatrics. “What makes you think he didn’t just nicely pop right into your ring when I asked him to?” she asked with a smirk.

“Plagg doesn’t do nice,” Chat assured her. “And Plagg definitely doesn’t do unnecessary transformations. So tell the truth, did you offer up our first-born?”

Her giggles only grew as she gave a shake of her head.

“Second-born?”

“I didn’t auction off my hypothetical children, yours or otherwise!” Marinette said with a snort, poking at his nose at the boy continued to make his wild guesses.

“Lifetime supply of cheese?”

“Nope!”

“Limited edition box set of Real Housewives of Paris?”

“Nope!” Chat gasped, letting one had flutter dramatically to his forehead.

“Your blessed purity?!” Marinette put on an over-the-top expression of confusion.

“My what now?”

“Ladybug I need to knooooowwww,” Chat whined, pouting and pawing at her like a toddler until she finally gave in.

“Fine,” Marinette sighed, “but you’re not going to like it.”

“It can’t be worse than our first-born.”

“Well…”

“YOU PROMISED HIM SOMETHING WORSE THAN OUR FIRST-BORN?”

“Worse for you maybe…”

“Ladybug…?”

“Fine,” she said, dropping her chin as she continued on in a mumble, “I promised Plagg I wouldn’t let you orgasm.” Her boyfriend shot up.

“Ever?!” Chat squeaked, sounding more akin to the skinny, fourteen year old boy whose voice cracked every time he spoke too loudly than the so-called man he now branded himself as.

“Not while in the suit, any way.”

Chat threw his hands up in defeat.

“You should have just given up our child.”

“WE ARE NOT PARENTS,” she reminded him once again.

“AND NOW WE NEVER WILL BE!”

Marinette tried not to laugh at his stricken expression, she really did. But the way Chat was carrying on, now standing as he paced the area around her, was just too hilarious for her to ignore.

“You’re being over-dramatic as usual,” she chided, giggling nonetheless as she pushed herself up into a cross-legged position. “Besides, you already told me you weren’t going to finish in the suit, so what’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is you used my orgasm privileges… AS RANSOM,” Chat huffed, stomping over to tower above her still-grinning form.

“I’ll make it up to you?” Marinette tried, smirk growing wider as he hunkered down before her. Chat squinted his eyes, bracing his hands on his knees as they engaged in a silent stare down. She feigned innocence, batting her eyes without a care in the world as he continued to pout just inches away. After about 20 seconds Ladybug pitched forwards, pressing a kiss to his nose and continuing on in a sickly sweet voice.

“Whatever you want, kitty.”

“I want. To cum,” he replied, enunciating each syllable with a nod of his head.

There was a pause.

‘Commandment Number Nine…’

“Deal,” Marinette said simply, sticking a cordial hand out in invitation. Chat didn’t seem convinced.

“What do you mean…deal?” he questioned, taking her hand but not shaking it. Instead, he heaved them both to their feet, immediately crossing his arms once they were fully standing.

“I mean deal, now are you going to shake or not.” ‘Better not push it, boy…’

Chat’s eyes narrowed only a smidgen more before he gave up his annoyance with a shrug.

“All right, deal,” he said, giving her hand a firm, businesslike shake, “though I’m still very confused as to what I just agreed to.”

“Well, I’m sure it will come to you sometime this week,” Marinette responded with a swallowed grin, “but for now I think it’s time we get headed home.”

For once, Chat didn’t seem to have any objections. He nodded absently but not unkindly, bending down to kiss her goodnight. And with a zip of her yo-yo and a vault of his staff, Ladybug and Chat Noir were gone.

Upon reaching home, Marinette made it through both her parents' (“…and you couldn’t take the time to call us if you decided to go to the fabric district after school?”) and Tikki’s (“If you’re serious about keeping your identity a secret, you need to be more careful!”) lectures without a hitch. She took her punishments ( three “I'm very disappointed in you”s) with grace and even managed to get some school work done before crashing for the night.

Ruminating on her day, she couldn’t help but see it as a positive overall.

‘I mean, sure,’ Marinette thought, tucking herself into bed with a contented sigh, ‘I punched my boyfriend, exhausted both myself and my kwami, nearly had my identity revealed, bargained Chat’s orgasming rights away to a mystical creature who may or may not be a demon, and got back home past curfew, but hey…’

The girl snuggled deeper into her sheets, ready to pick up where she had left off nearly two hours ago.

‘…at least I had a pretty great nap.’