"Roses are red, violets are blue, for as long as I live I will always love you. And if I shall die, and death do us part, I hope I remain forever in your heart."

— Forbidden Love

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•

Late night rounds were quite frequent for Chat Noir, and sleep was something he barely used in his own vocabulary. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually been able to sleep through the night undisturbed, and he was somewhat envious that back in his home, Marinette slept peacefully in his bed with no disturbance whatsoever.

Why was it that he always seemed to envy this woman?

Grumbling to himself, Chat Noir trudged through the bushes with a frown on his lips. It seemed that no matter what he tried, Chat Noir's life never could grow exciting in any way.

But right now, all he wanted was some more sleep.

Quietly and stealthily, Chat Noir neared the forbidden wall. This is where he had first spotted Marinette, and this is where he had revealed himself to her– but he would not make that same mistake again and allow himself to be seen, lest there be someone else on the other side of the wall with the same curiosity as Marinette's.

Although the sky was black, and the stars barely dimmed with any light, Chat Noir's night vision did him well, and he guided himself with ease through the night.

SNAP. His ears twitched at the sound, and Chat Noir immediately turned his head towards the direction he'd heard it. Still crouched in the bushes, his eyes studied the stone-paved wall, knowing perfectly well that the sound had come from the other side. His knowledge was also aware that humans took pride in their sleep and that one clearly roaming around at night, in the forest, was clearly unusual. Chat Noir hadn't even gotten a glimpse at the creature yet, and he already knew it wasn't an animal.

His instincts pushed him to go forward, but his heart beckoned to leave it be and press it on in the morning. Despite his heart's request, Chat Noir knew investigating alone with any creature on the other side of the wall was dangerous. Some humans were different from others in strength and agility. If Chat Noir had found himself stuck in a quarry with a man, well, there was no telling if the blonde would be able to escape.

Scowling to himself, Chat Noir disappeared back into the bushes and abandoned any thought of investigating further. Little did Chat Noir know that what he heard behind that wall was someone who threatened his relationship with Marinette, and someone who was seeking to capture her for his own personal glory and gain.

•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•

"You?" Marinette pointed an accusing finger at Chat Noir, clearly bewildered with his request. She stood like a stick figure beside his bed, wearing her most casual dress that she'd brought from her wardrobe. "Want to go on a picnic?"

"Yes?" He said it as if it were a question, unsure about his answer.

"All right, what is the catch?"

"No catch." Chat Noir shook his head. "Just you and I having a picnic in the forest."

To that, Marinette raised a very sinister looking brow, smirking as she teasingly asked, "Oh? So you are asking me out on a date then?"

"What?" Chat Noir sputtered. He was looking at her with wide eyes, and it took everything in her power not to laugh at the sight. "No! I mean... well, I was merely suggesting—"

"Breathe before you go pale." Marinette snorted, pointing up at his cheeks which undoubtedly were probably blushing underneath all that fur.

Chat frowned at her, though she was sure it was playful. "This is not at all funny."

"Right, right."

"This is serious."

"Okay. I understand. So, a picnic in the forest?"

Nodding, the blonde awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Yes," he said, "Did you not want a tour of the forest?" Although he had forbade Marinette to ever leave his home as long as she stayed here, he felt it a bit unfair to keep her hidden and demand she never leave his home. He knew exactly how it felt to be trapped himself.

The last thing he wanted was to make his guest feel the exact same way.

Marinette raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled, and she folded her arms across her chest. "I thought I was not allowed to leave?" Sarcastically, she repeated his previous overly used statement from a few days prior. "I would not want anyone of your kind picking up my scent."

He knew she was playing with his words, and the idea of this woman suddenly making him forget what he wanted to say bothered him. "If you would rather stay here then, so be it." He frowned, suddenly feeling annoyed. "I just thought having you stay here all the time was unhealthy... and... unfair."

The look on his face suddenly had Marinette feeling bad, because she hadn't meant to hurt him in any way, and only had the intentions to mess around with him in a playful manner. "No," she shook her head, allowing her guard to slightly fall as she sent him an apologetic look. "I would like to go on this... picnic with you."

He perked up slightly. "You do?"

He felt so relieved to hear those words.

"Yes..."

Grinning, he nodded and quickly excused himself to the kitchen (which was only a mere foot away.) Opening his cupboards, Chat Noir pulled out whatever food he found suitable for their day in the sun. As he was in the middle of preparing their lunch, he felt the presence of Marinette behind him.

"I am sorry," she said softly before he could even ask what she wanted, and immediately he turned around to face her. "I was not meaning to frustrate you."

Raising an eyebrow, Chat Noir shrugged his shoulder. "It is no bother, you know. I understand."

"Maybe, but it is not right." Marinette protested, and when Chat tried to meet her hesitant eyes, she averted quickly them, instead focusing more on her hands as she fiddled with her fingers. "I should be more aware of... of how my words can affect others. It really is just a nasty habit I have created after spending so many years of my life chasing away men."

Confused, Chat Noir tilted his head slightly, "Why would you need to chase away men?" He hesitantly asked, not wanting to interfere or stick his nose into any personal information she did not want to share.

She nodded, still avoiding his gaze. "Yes. Ever since I was a young girl, my aunt insisted that us girls should always look our best in case we were to come across a man she would want to marry us off to. I never wanted to get married you see, and because of this, I did and said things that men wished not to hear or found disrespectful. Of course, no man wants to marry a woman who will not submit."

Of course, Chat Noir somewhat knew exactly what she meant. Although she labeled men quite awfully, the blonde too did not see anything good with the men who lived amongst Marinette on the other side. However, being forced to marry someone was definitely something he could relate to. But unfortunately, he did not know how to escape it.

"I believe men have to submit in a way as well, you know." Chat said, shifting from one foot to the other. "When you marry, you become one with that person you love. Each individual shows their love for one another by respecting the other. No one is greater than the other, and your gender does not define how weak or strong you are."

Stunned by his somewhat intelligent speech, Marinette had to blink her eyes multiple times in order to make sure she had heard him correctly. Never once had she ever heard anyone from the opposite sex say such a thing, let alone agree with her views.

Chat Noir surely stood out from any other man she'd ever met. Never once had she met a man she could easily relate to or have conversations with that did not involve marriage or sex. She liked that he was different.

She liked that a lot.

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