Mine, His

After taking the bird up to her room and seeing to it that it had necessary warmth from the hot-water-bottle that it slept on, Marinette turned to find Chat staring at her as she placed her flower in a vase full of water.

"So why were you out so late?" She asked him.

"Oh I just had some people to attack." He said, casually laying down on her chaise as she gaped.

"Y-You attacked someone?" She asked in horror.

"Well actually he had it coming." He said with a shrug.

Marinette held her head.

"And that makes it justifiable?" She asked in frustration.

Chat sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Relax princess,he was alive when I left him." Marinette's mouth dropped open. He grinned at her shocked face.

"…Why do you do these things?" She asked.

"A variety of reasons, and also I've been meaning to ask you something too, why are you fine with having someone as dangerous as me in your house, alone with you...Did it ever occur to you that I'm gaining your trust just so that I can attack you when you least expect it?"He asked.

Marinette blinked.

"Not really…"

"Okay,explain as to why not?"

"I really don't know." She said honestly. Chat frowned and lay back on the chaise.

"You're strange Marinette."

"That's coming from the man with a tail." She said. He rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha, very funny,say, what were you buying earlier?"He asked,sitting up and watching as she arranged some oddly shaped pieces of paper on her table.

Marinette bit her lip for the slightest of seconds. If she wanted to help him, she needed to get close to him.

But it was daunting.

Yes, she claimed to not be alarmed about him being there with her, but it was honestly a bit nerve-wrecking. This was the man that attacked at least 4 people every single week,and he had been doing that for the last 4 years.

She'd have to be a complete moron not to be a bit weary.

…But she knew what she had to needed to become someone that he wouldn't hurt.

The only way to do that was to become a really important person in his life, like a best friend, maybe even a sisterly figure!

She had to strip away everything.

She needed to stop looking at him as Chat Noir the criminal,and look at him as Chat,her friend.

She would be herself,and get him to be his true self,even if he secretly wanted to kill her, she would try. She wouldn't be Marinette Dupain-Cheng if she could say NO to someone who desperately needed her help.

She exhaled before looking at him with a warm smile,she waved him over.

Quietly,like the kitty he was,he slinked out of the chaise and sauntered over to her with a perfectly shaped brow raised. Marinette noted the perfect shape.

"You get your eyebrows done?"She suddenly blurted before she could stop herself.

Chat's eyes widened as she said that,his hand shot up to his eyebrows and he took a small step back.

'Marinette!Don't make him self-conscious!He probably thinks you're judging him.' She berated herself mentally.

"Urm yes, it's a requirement in my profession…"

"Ooooh, sounds fancy, well,I like it, it suits you."She said with a thumbs up, and an encouraging smile.

"Really?Urm, thank you, princess." He said,he was unaware of the unconscious blush creeping onto his face.

"Anyway, come over here." She said, pulling up a chair for him next to her at the table.

He slowly came over and sat down gingerly and he looked at patterns for something on different pieces of paper,cut neatly,but it made no sense to him in regards of what it was.

"I was making you something."She said happily.

He stared at her. "What for?" He asked incredulously. Well this was unexpected…

"No reason. It's just a present."She said.

"A present…Why?" He asked, even more confused.

"Because I wanted to." She said simply.

"You wanted to make something for me,for no reason."He repeated wearily.

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Chat,it's what friends do."she said.

He blinked.

"We're friends?"He asked in genuine shock.

"Urm, yeah, seeing as I'm still alive and you haven't had your b.u.t.t kicked by me."

He snickered, "You,kick my b.u.t.t.I'd like to see you-"he stopped abruptly when he saw her pan in her hand.

"Go on."she said, holding back a laugh.

"Urm,okay I'll just give you the benefit of the doubt."He said jumping back.

She laughed and he found himself relaxing at the sound. "Okay Chat,let's get something to eat, it's past dinner time."

He followed her out of her room silently, confused as to why he didn't feel like digging her eyes out,or showing her that she actually couldn't kick his b.u.t.t. It was strange feeling so…

Normal…

It was so strange how he felt so at ease in her presence. It was weird how her laugh just destroyed the tension in his was terrifying.

Upon entering the kitchen Marinette pulled some Lasagne out of the fridge.

Chat gulped. The calories in that would make his father skin him alive…He could almost picture it:

'Adrien, you have blatantly disregarded me, and the entire world of fashion...Just look at what you have done, you could have gotten a stretch mark,then what would we do?Do you realize how bad this makes me look?My own son being short of immaculate...Did you even think about it while you were out being so insolent?No,I presume,since you are so blatantly selfish.'

He shook his head as Marinette called his name.

"What?" He asked.

"I asked if you want more cheese."

More cheese? Oh his father wouldn't be skinning him.

He would be strangling him and then skinning the corpse while simultaneously berating him.

"I'm not really hungry." He said.

"Yeah but you can't just let me eat alone." She said,waving her spatula.

"You're not the boss of me." He said with a huff.

"I'm the boss of this kitchen!" She said with her nose in the air.

"And in my kitchen everybody eats as a unit." She said,handing him a plate.

He almost died when he saw the large piece of lasagna.

"Oh my claws." He said with a groan.

Finding courage, Marinette grabbed his tail and pulled him into the bakery.

"What are you doing princess?" He asked, looking over his shoulder as he walked backwards.

"We're picking dessert."

"I don't think it would be healthy-"

"Nonsense everyone needs dessert-"

"Princess,really I shouldn't be-"

"We have to have dessert otherwise-"

"Princess you don't understand-"

"We won't sleep well-"

"Marinette stop.I'm a model,I literally cant!"He finally said in frustration.

"I can't eat sweets or pastries even if I wanted to. I have to eat...salads,fish,fruit... very low calorie foods,and once in a while I eat sugar free bubblegum."

Her mouth fell open.

"You mean to tell me…You're one of those people who starve to stay in shape?"

He pursed his lips. "It's not as if I have a choice, don't look at me like that." He snarled. Marinette blinked.

"Chat who's making you do this?" She asked in concern. He looked up at her from the corner of his eye. He didn't say anything.

She sighed. "Okay so no sugar or much fat then?" She asked. He nodded. She rubbed her temples. "Alright." She went back into the kitchen.

She went back into the kitchen. He followed her.

"What are you doing princess?"

She put on an apron. "Come in kitty, you better not be expecting me to do this alone." She said, opening a book and placing it on the island.

"Do what?"

"Cook of course!" She said with a laugh, she hid something behind her back and walked towards him deviously. His eyes widened and he began to step back.

"Princess, I don't mean to offend you but devious and evil smiles only look good on me-"

Suddenly a toque was slammed onto his head.

Marinette burst out laughing as Chat wrinkled his nose. He pouted and she continued to laugh at him.

"Oooh Ohhh this is too much, Chat Noir in a toque, the villain is ready to make a killer dish, HAAA, oh Chat,you should see yourself, this is funnier than the bird poop!"She said, falling to the floor. She found his red face hilarious, and like before, her pure,innocent and untainted laugh soothed him.

His lips moved from their annoyed pout into a smile as he watched her.

Eventually, she stopped and she stood up,trying to breathe.

"Okay,you hand me those things when I ask for them."She said, gesturing to the ingredients she laid out.

All healthy ingredients he noted,and gluten free too. She began to form a dough and he watched her curiously. After a while she handed him a spoon and a bowl.

"You make the filling." She said, turning him and leading him to the little counter where some other ingredients were laid out. More healthy stuff… She handed him the directions.

Shredded tuna,mozzarella, salt,a bunch of spices that were optional and a strange jar labelled "Tom's secret spice".

"My lady, I don't know what to do, especially with these optional ones ."He said.

"Come on kitty, just make it taste good, I believe in you!" She said smiling and going back to her dough. Chat felt a small skip in his heartbeat. That…

That was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him…

He nodded in determination.

'Alright Adrien, you can do this.' He thought, and then, he created the perfect filling.

"I'm done!" He said, feeling really excited and nervous now that Marinette would be tasting it.

She turned with a bit of flour on her cheek and hair. "Already?Wow Chat, you work fast! Hmm,but how does it taste?"She said,taking a small spoonful. After placing it in her mouth her eyes widened and she froze.

Chat stared at her stunned face. "Princess?Princess?Oh my claws,spit it out!Spit it out!"He said suddenly exclaimed in horror and shame, and practically carried her over to the sink. She turned to him with wide eyes.

"Chat that was the most amazing tuna filling I ever tasted." She said suddenly.

"Huh?" He asked in confusion. He wasn't even sure what he was doing. "Dad doesn't ever use the optional spices because apart from the mix he makes he doesn't know what else to add to enhance the taste…But wow." She looked up at him.

"Good job!" She exclaimed holding out her fist.

He suddenly felt so proud and appreciated. It was such a weird and strange sensation that he almost didn't know how to react, so he just smiled back at her.

A genuine smile.

A kind of smile that hadn't graced his face since years before.

He looked down at her small fist. "What are you doing?" He asked.

Marinette tilted her head. "It's a fist bump. Like this."She said, reaching cautiously for his hand and closing his long fingers into his palm before bumping his fist with hers.

"Pound it." She said with a grin.

He blinked at her. She was so nice…

How could a person be so nice? He was a menace and a monster and she was treating him with such kindness…Something in his c.h.e.s.t shifted.

Marinette continued to smile and went to finish off the Tuna quiche(That's what they were making).After popping it in the oven she took out something from the freezer. It was frozen strawberries.

Then she opened the fridge and pulled out fresh ones.

"Do you like strawberries? "She asked, Chat was leaning against the counter, watching her carefully. He leaned his cheek on his palm.

"Yes I do."He said.

"Okay then we're going to have strawberry sorbet for dessert, hey don't give me that look ,you said you're allowed to eat fruit, I'm not adding sugar." She said as she pulled out the blender and popped strawberries in.

He frowned.

"Marinette?"

"Yeah?"She called over the sound of the blender.

"Are you always this nice or are you just kissing-ass?" He asked.

She turned to him with a raised brow.

"I'm not fond of 'ass-kissing', Chat. Sounds exhausting.But I do know one person who is." She said with an annoyed look.

"Who?"

"Chloe Bourgeois, URGH!That girl! She makes my blood boil!"

Chat froze. Marinette knew that thing? His heart beat wildly,suddenly scared.

"The mayor's daughter? You know her personally?"He asked slowly.

"Know her? Ha,she's made my life a living hell since kindergarten." Marinette suddenly let out a pained w.h.i.n.e and she stomped her foot.

"And today she came over to the bakery, and she rubbed it in my face that she would be going to this super Amazing fashion expo in Miami with Gabriel Agreste. I mean she literally rubbed her ticket in my face,almost got my eye. Then she rubbed her passport too,but then Alya smacked it out of her hand, long story short,I hate her, she hates me." She said with a sigh. "But as sad as it is that she gets to go to Miami with Gabriel instead of me, at least I won't see her for a month!"She said excitedly.

Chat grinned, he shared her excitement, and words could not describe how ecstatic he was that someone else also despised the prissy blonde.

Marinette suddenly gasped.

"Oh my gosh, I punched her boyfriend today!" She shrieked.

"She has a boyfriend?" He asked in utter shock, not catching on.

"Yeah,Gabriel's son, Adrien Agreste."Marinette g.r.o.a.n.e.d into her hands.

Chats mouth dropped open.

"They're dating? What? Wait. Who told you that?"He asked in horror.

Marinette gave him a confused look.

"Chat I know you're a villain and stuff, but not knowing Adrien and Chloe are a thing? Where have you been living for the past 6 years? Chloe even had his signature saying she's the love of his life, everybody knows Chat."

'Everyone but me.' He didn't know what to say.

All of Paris thought he was dating that thing, even Marinette!Urgh!

"Well that's the first I heard of it."He mumbled.

The timer sounded and Marinette took the delicious looking quiche out of the oven.

"It's a shame too,he has like these amazing green eyes,I swear they're like nothing you've ever seen,and he seems like a pretty cool guy,I mean after I punched him he wasn't even mad.I hope he's okay…"She said with a frown.

The set the quiche on the table.

"Maybe Chloe's like secretly really loving with him or something."

Chat couldn't hold back his snort, "I'll say." He muttered.

"Okay Chat,here you go, your low calorie quiche with a glass of really awesome iced-water."She said,handing him his plate and taking her own.

"And your sugar free strawberry sorbet."She handed him a bowl of it.

Then she turned and marched up to her room,she was really pleased with herself.

Chat was talking more,and smiling more, honestly she found his company quite charming.

Chat on the other hand was pawsitively shocked. She liked his eyes.A lot. He felt flattered.

Today was the most emotional day he had in forever, in the best possible way.

He couldn't explain it,but he had felt so many feelings...It was astounding how one little woman who he still barely knew nothing about could calm him,make him laugh,shock him, make him fl.u.s.tered, make him feel proud and motivated, make him happy and thankful.

When he finally took a bite of the quiche he was amazed,it was so good!He ate it happily and Marinette smiled quietly. At least he trusted her enough not to think that she poisoned it.

After they ate their sorbets they lay on her bed, stuffed.

"That was clawsome."He said.

Marinette hiccuped. "And it was all under 400 calories."

Chat turned to face her. "You know princess, you didn't really have to cook that just because I have a weird diet.I was fine with not eating…"

"Not eating isn't fine. Not in this house."She said,patting her tummy.

"No I mean, it was really kind of you of you to do that."

Marinette yawned. "Don't worry about it ,I'm happy you liked it."She said with a smile.

He smiled back.

Marinette's eyes began to close and Chat watched as she fell asleep. Slowly he reached out and wiped the bit of powder off her cheek.

"You're different Marinette."He said to the sleeping Marinette. Suddenly something clicked in his head and he g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

"I'm attached." He said, smacking his forehead,he took off his toque, got off the bed and jumped down the ladder.

He walked up to Berry and noted the bird was still asleep.

He sighed and walked to the chaise and sat, watching the wardrobe, he was determined to stay awake tonight.

As always, he had many things to think about.

…Except this time it involved a currently sleeping princess and not the banshee in Miami.