Marinette was highly amused when Chat Noir's leather tail twitched irritably in the air the same way as Chat Blanc's while maintaining a serious eye contact.

They've been like that for half an hour already - him sitting on the bench while her pet on the rails - and quite adamant to win the useless cat fight. Who initiated the fight, the designer got no clue.

"You can't win a staring contest against a cat, Monsieur Noir." she admonished despite the irony.

"Oh yeah?" the feline hero sneered as he munched a bread. "Watch me."

With her partner's competitive streak, she knew this would prolong until dawn breaks.

Taking a deep breath, the girl stood up from her chair to pluck the white cat away from his line of sight then deposited it to her lap.

Both Chats whined in unison.

"Spoilsport."

Marinette stuck her tongue out. "You're both getting ridiculous."

"Don't blame me. Blame that fellow." the hero pointed the animal with an accusatory look. "For his terrible cat-titude."

Instead of retorting, Chat Blanc decided to nuzzle his Master's warm thighs shamelessly with his butt tucked out to his nemesis.

"See?!"

She chuckled as she caressed her pet's fur. "Aren't you the immature one here? You're throwing a fit because my wonderful pet snubbed you."

"Excusez moi, your pet is anything but wonderful."

"What a rude mangy cat." Marinette rolled her eyes without breaking her ministrations. She smiled when Chat Blanc's rumbling purrs reverberated on her skin.

"I don't know why, but Chat was acting like this on certain people. And they were all blonds." the designer began, referring to her pet. "Maybe he sensed the cat in you, or maybe you have the same air as my classmate Chloe. Other than that, you must've reminded him of someone who probably abandoned him in the past."

Chat Noir stopped mid-chew at the revelation. He made an audible gulp then placed his half-consumed croissantson the plate.

"I don't have an idea. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." she waved her hand. "These are just speculations, and I haven't told anyone about it yet. Dr. Moshe, Chat's vet, shared with me some stories about rescues and how they ended up in streets."

"Oh."

Marinette glanced at her relaxed cat with a sigh. "Animals have emotions like us humans. And sometimes, us humans tend to forget about it and just leave them as we pleased."

"Humans do that to their fellow humans too." she heard his mutters but decided not to make a comment.

"Thank you for the ceramic pot." she eyed the plant near the balcony. "As you can see, my daisies survived and bloomed well."

The hero trailed his gaze towards the plant then smirked. "I'm re-leafed you lily like it."

"Ladybug is right." the designer groaned. "Your puns are incorrigible."

"My puns are claw-some." he objected with crossed arms. "You don't have a meow-velous taste to a-purr-eciate it, Princess."

She rolled her eyes indignantly. "Why do you always call me 'Princess', Chat?"

"Because you are a princess," he explained matter-of-factly. "You lived in a castle - "

"An apartment." she corrected.

"- of sweets - "

"With a bakery."

"- with a balcony overlooking the city - "

"A balcony that views nothing but buildings."

Chat Noir pouted on her interruptions. "Aren't you a pessimist, Purr-incess?"

"I'm just a realist, Kitty."

"Kitty?"

Marinette feigned a cough to hide her slip. "Uh, I read in Ladyblog about your nickname? Sorry if I called you the same way as Ladybug - "

"No, no, no. It's fine! Kitty is fine!" he chirped then waved his hands excitedly. "You can call me any names you want. That's what friends do, right?"

"I hope you understand that bullies also call their lackeys some names."

Chat Noir gasped. "Are you bullying me, Marinette?"

She snorted at his ridiculous expression. "I might've kicked your butt and let my cat mauled you mercilessly if I am, silly."

He smiled at her, one that was foreign even to Ladybug, with electric green eyes that glimmered like he was having a nostalgia.

"I believe Ladybug mentioned to you about...you know..." the hero trailed off then rubbed his neck shyly.

"About you checking me out almost every night? And how you entered my room and tucked me to my bed without my permission?" her teasings earned her a flustered pout.

"Don't put it that way, Princess!"

Her melodious laughs that reverberated in the night gave Chat Noir a fuzzy feeling that warmed his chest.

"Are you doing this all the time, Chat? Visiting civilian homes to have a treat?" the designer asked.

He shook his head. "I'm not sure about my Lady's case, but I often have free times at night. Cats are nocturnal anyway, that's why I'm doing extra patrols and have a 'reality break'."

"Are you homeless, Chat?" she asked warily. "Is that why you're famished right now? Don't you have a family - or are you an orphan perhaps?"

Chat Noir simply chuckled, but his eyes were full of melancholia. "I have a family, but they're nonexistent. I have a house, but not considered as my home."

A minute of silence hovered in the air.

They might've imposed a 'no identity reveal' rule but Ladybug couldn't deny that her partner lived a sad life. And now that she heard the answers directly from his mouth as Marinette, it only proves that her theories were right.

She knew it was a breach of their agreement, and she shouldn't get close to him as a civilian, but damn it she was tempted to hug her Kitty right there and wrap him with the fluffiest blanket she could ever find.

"I'm sorry." the designer bowed guiltily.

"Don't be, Marinette. It's fine" Chat Noir waved his hands. "It feels good to release some bottled feelings sometimes, and I know you're not a type that would share this with the world."

It only gnawed her conscience more. "Don't you have friends who know all about it?"

"I have. They know about my civilian issues but elaborating it further would mean telling them about my masked persona. I don't want that."

He was busy fiddling the edge of his half-emptied glass to notice how Marinette extended her hand to reach his clawed ones.

"If not for Chat Blanc." the designer squeezed. "I wouldn't mind adopting you as a pet."

Chat Noir squeezed back with a chuckle, but this time it was full of mirth. "Then I must fight Whitey for your affection fair and square."

"Whitey?" her brows furrowed.

"You think I'm going to call that fellow with my name? That's so awkward, you know."

"Hmm." she tapped her chin. "Then I must call you Blackey to avoid further confusions."

"Princess!"

Her spasming giggles disturbed her napping cat and earned her a disgruntled hiss.

"I will win you fair and square against Whitey, ma Purr-incesse." Chat Noir professed while glaring at the cat.

"You do that." she bemused. "And I have to think for some briberies to win Ladybug's favor."

"She won't mind. You're too claw-some already for this lonely soul." the feline hero shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, my Lady was too busy saving the world to pamper a poor cat like me."

"Ladybug cares for you, Chat, more than you imagined. You might not have noticed it, but she really does. You're not just her trustworthy partner, you're her best friend."

Chat Noir was a bit startled when he met the intensity of her bluebell eyes. He cracked a smile.

"Thank you for the assurance, Princess."

Marinette mentally noted to commend her Kitty more the next time she wears her spots.

They were about to finish their snacks when a familiar beep sounded.

"Oops. I think I stayed here longer than I expected." he sighed as he looked at his pawed ring. He stood up.

"Wait. Take this." she placed her revolting cat on the chair to grab the small paper bag, only to push it to his gloved hands. "These might be leftovers, but they're still delicious especially if you paired it with any hot drinks."

"Bu-but - "

"I may not know you in person," she interjected. "And I have no idea where you live, but I hope these croissantsare enough to accompany you on your travel."

The black-clad hero eyed the paper bag deliberately before accepting, then pressed it against his chest. "Thank you."

She shook her head. "No, Chat. Thank you. For being a hero and a protector of Paris. No amount can compensate your bravery and kindness, and I hope those pastries are enough to express my gratitude."

"Your company is sufficiently enough, Purr-incess."

She tried not to grimace but failed. "If you're calling me by that moniker just for a useless pun, I might push you off from this balcony and haul you to death."

"Well, I hope our paths will croissant again."

"Chat!"

Chat Noir guffaws echoed on the empty street, and that moment Marinette wished the neighbors were not roused from their deep slumber and witnessed how the hero took her hand and kissed it.

There was something on the way his green staid eyes pored on hers that made her stomach burst with an army of butterflies. The warmth of his lips that brushed on her skin and the press of his thumb that massaged the spot shoot an electric current to her spine.

"They said that curiosity killed the cat." his lowly purrs didn't help her racing pulse either. "But you're the satisfaction that brought him back."

Since when did the midnight air become this hot?

"Cat got your tongue, Princess?"

Her sleep-deprived haze and the lack of Miraculous protection must be the reason why she was weak on his advances. But no way she would let the cat get the cream.

"You might be fine, Chat-sanova." she sassed then brushed his cheek lightly. "But you're not meow-velous enough to earn a purr-fect score on my books. Better earn your brownie points well, Kitty."

She was satisfied when his face bloomed into scarlet after she threw a flirtatious wink. Miraculous or not, he was still susceptible to teenage hormones.

Chat Noir lost his opportunity to banter when his ring beeped for the second time.

"You win this night, Princess." he grinned deviously. "But next time will be mine."

The feline hero made a two-finger salute then leaped with his baton. "Cat-ch you later, Marinette!"

.

.

.

.

"Good morning, Marinette!"

Marinette immediately lurched from her seat when Adrien's head popped on her desk with a cheeky grin.

"Goo - Goo - Goo - Good morning, A - A - A - Adrien!" she sputtered with a beet-red face.

The blond frowned. "Are you alright? Did you sleep well?"

Her caffeine-induced self and her lack of sleep didn't help her jumpiness, and when he cupped her cheeks, all of her nerves got fried and short-circuited.

Oh my gosh, Adrien touched my skin! Oh my gosh, Adrien held my face! Oh my gosh, Adrien and his pretty green eyes were looking at me like he's going to kiss me! Oh my gosh, Adrien moved his face near mine! Oh my gosh, Adrien...Adrien...Adrien...Adrien... #$£₩×%&?!

"You're all red, Marinette! And you're burning! Are you sick or something? Let me bring you to the clinic - "

"Okay, hold it right there Mister Gentleman! You're suffocating my baby girl!" Alya intervened hastily then pulled her best friend away. "Listen to my voice, Marinette. Breathe in, breathe out. Do it again - breathe in, breathe out. Good, now relax."

Thank heavens for the existence of St. Alya Cesaire and her miraculous works.

"Is she alright?" Adrien asked the brunette which earned a snort.

"Psssh, she's fine. She's just having her normal hyperventilation."

"Normal?!"

"Uh, she's like this when she's sleep-deprived. You know, when inspiration struck her in the middle of the night."

Marinette was calm enough to catch the model's crestfallen expression as he returned to his seat and murmured "I'm sorry."

"Leave them be, dude." she heard Nino's casual voice. "Mari's fine. Girls will always be girls. They have unexplainable swings that us guys will never understand."

"If you say so." was Adrien's reply.

When the designer sprung back to her usual self, their teacher already entered the room and began her roll call.

"What was that, girl!" Alya hissed at her best friend's ear. "Did Adrien smother you with attention?"

"I don't know!" she hissed back. "It's like I just died and went to Heaven!"

"Yeah, you almost died before me. Died of asphyxiation." the bespectacled made an impassive glare.

"Alya!"

"Mme. Cesaire and Mme. Dupain-Cheng, are you both finished with your discussion there? We would like to start our lesson now." the teacher called out much to their embarrassment.

"Yes!" they yelled in unison.

Moments later, Marinette received a piece of paper from Alya with a note 'Did you catch the culprit?'

'I did.' she wrote back. 'I should've skinned that mangy cat alive before letting it go.'

.

.

.

.

Night came when she heard a loud tapping noise from her window.

"Chat?! What are you doing here?" the designer asked when the superhero landed on her balcony. "Is there an Akuma around or - "

"Calm down, Princess. There's no Akuma attacks or anything." Chat Noir snorted then handed her a pastry box. The logo was from a high-class confectionery located in another arrondissement.

"What's this?" she asked despite knowing the contents inside.

"Brownies!"

"I know these are brownies but what are these for?"

The feline hero puffed his cheeks. "I'm trying to earn my points."

"You're ridiculous." she deadpanned.

"Ridiculous or not, I bought some brownies to share it with you!"

"Okay...?" she didn't get it. "But why me and not Ladybug?"

"Because I don't know her whereabouts and where she lives...?"

"Oh really." was her sarcastic reply.

"It's my solo paw-trol tonight, and since you're still awake despite it's already past midnight, I decided to drop by and say hello."

"Okay, hi. Now what?"

He tilted his head to the side then blinked his sclera innocently. "I thought I told you that I'll be back tonight?"

Realization finally dawned on her, and when he flashed a lop-sided grin, she knew that yesterday was a mistake.

"Why, Princess. You of all people should know the consequence of feeding a stray."

Chat Blanc emerged behind her leg and made an accusatory growl of 'I told you so.'